Three months after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, we review the key moments of the conflict
A Palestinian child cries next to his mother as he is taken to Nasser Hospital following an Israeli attack in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on November 13, 2023. (Photo: Mohammed Salem/Reuters).
Three months have passed since the devastating Hamas offensive that sparked Israel's war in Gaza, and the deadly fighting has created a severe humanitarian crisis in the region.
After Hamas militants launched a brutal attack on Israel on October 7, the Israeli military launched an offensive against the Palestinian Authority, in which gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage, Israeli officials said.
In the three months since the attack, more than 22,700 Gazans have died, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Here are some key moments of the clash:
October 7: Hamas attacks. The surprise attack by Hamas on October 7 was the largest terrorist attack in Israel's history. At least 1,500 Hamas fighters crossed the border into Israel by land, sea and air using paragliders. Shortly after, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “at war”.
October 9: Israel ordered a “total blockade” of Gaza. Two days later, Netanyahu said the Israeli military would attack Hamas with “unprecedented force” in a bid to destroy the militant group.
October 13: Growing discharge. The Israeli military ordered the 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate their homes immediately, intensifying its response. The UN estimates that 1.9 million people have been displaced since the conflict began.
Palestinians flee to safer areas in Gaza City after Israeli airstrikes on October 13, 2023. (Photo: Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images).
October 17th: Hundreds died in Gaza hospitals. A deadly explosion devastated Gaza's Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, which housed thousands of displaced people. CNN determined that the explosion may have been caused by a malfunctioning rocket fired by Palestinian militants and not an Israeli attack.
October 27: Israel is expanding its ground offensive. The Israel Defense Forces announced that it was “expanding ground operations” in Gaza, following a war that has been fought mostly from the air.
November 15: Attack on Al-Shifa Hospital. Israel launched a “targeted” operation against Hamas inside Gaza's largest hospital, where thousands of Palestinians are believed to have taken refuge. Conditions at the hospital deteriorated rapidly during the fighting days. The experiment drew international criticism.
November 24: A ceasefire begins. After days of careful negotiations, a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas marked a pause in the fighting. As part of the ceasefire, groups of hostages held in Gaza were released daily.
December 1: The ceasefire collapses. A week later, the Israeli army resumed fighting against Hamas in Gaza. Israel's focus began to shift from the north of Gaza to the south.
December 15: The hostages were killed in the ambush. Israeli soldiers shot dead three Israeli hostages in northern Gaza after misidentifying them as threats. The IDF said the shooting was against its rules of engagement and that the soldiers involved would face disciplinary procedures.
January 1: Israel announced a partial withdrawal. On the first day of the new year, Israel announced it would soon begin withdrawing thousands of soldiers from Gaza to prepare for a new phase of the conflict, though a senior official warned.
