2023 Israel–Hamas war

2023 Israel–Hamas war
Part of the Arab–Israeli conflict
Gaza Strip   Israeli territory with Palestinian militants presence   Evacuated areas   Maximum extent of Palestinian advance See here for a more comprehensive map.
Date 7 October 2023 – present (3 months, 3 weeks and 4 days) Location Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Syria Status Ongoing Palestinian militants break through the Gaza–Israel barrier and invade Israel's Southern District Israeli military carries out airstrikes in the Gaza Strip Israeli Defense Forces report they have retaken and fully control all communities around the Gaza Strip on 9 October Israel imposes a total blockade on Gaza Approximately 150 Israeli and foreign hostages taken by Palestinian militants
Belligerents
Gaza Strip: Hamas Islamic Jihad PFLP DFLP West Bank: File:Lion's Den Emblem.png Lions' Den Al-Quds Brigades Lebanon: Hezbollah	Israel Supported by: Germany United States
Commanders and leaders
Ismail Haniyeh Yahya Sinwar Mohammed Deif Abu Obaida Ziyad al-Nakhalah Nayef Hawatmeh Hassan Nasrallah	Benjamin Netanyahu Benny Gantz Yoav Gallant Herzi Halevi Kobi Shabtai Ronen Bar
Units involved
Al-Qassam Brigades Al-Quds Brigades Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades National Resistance Brigades	Israel Defense Forces Israel Police Shin Bet
Casualties and losses
Gaza (Health Ministry, Hamas) 1,100 killed (including 326 children) 5,339 wounded 339,000 displaced (per the UN) West Bank (Health Ministry, West Bank) 28 killed 150 wounded Lebanon (Hezbollah) 6 killed Inside Israel (IDF) 1,500 militants killed	Israel: 1,200+ killed 3,400 wounded 200+ abducted

On 7 October 2023, Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas launched a large-scale campaign against Israel. Part of the Gaza–Israel conflict, the war began with a militant invasion of Israel from the Gaza Strip named Operation Al-Aqsa Storm on 7 October 2023. The Israeli counteroffensive was named Operation Iron Swords.

Before the attack, Israeli-Palestinians clashes at Al-Aqsa mosque, Gaza and Jenin had killed 247 Palestinians and 36 Israelis. Hostilities were initiated in the early morning with a rocket barrage of at least 3,000 missiles against Israel and vehicle-transported incursions into its territory. Palestinian forces broke through the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking nearby Israeli communities and military installations. At least 1,200 Israelis were killed, including a massacre at a music festival where at least 260 civilians were killed. Israeli soldiers and civilians, including women and children, were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared states of emergency and war, vowing a "mighty vengeance" against "terrorism". Hamas announced the justification for the attack came in the aftermath of increased Israeli settlements, the Blockade of the Gaza Strip and Israeli settler violence against Palestinians. Hamas called on Palestinians outside of Gaza to join "the fight against the occupiers".

After clearing Hamas forces from affected areas, Israel responded with airstrikes in the densely-populated Gaza Strip. The United Nations reported that around 263,000 Palestinians, more than a tenth of the population of Gaza, have been displaced. Fears of a humanitarian crisis were heightened after Israel cut off food, water, electricity, and fuel supplies to the strip, which had already been jointly blockaded by Egypt and Israel. The war has led to immense collateral damage, including the widespread deaths of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, and there have been allegations of war crimes.

Many nations condemned Hamas for the violence, and described its actions as terrorism, while some Muslim nations cited the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories as the root cause of the escalation. Many nations called for a de-escalation. A conflict was reported between Hezbollah and Palestinian militants in Lebanon and Israeli forces on 8 and 9 October. On October 11, 2023, Reuters reported that Germany would begin supplying military aid to Israel.

Names

The Palestinian militants dubbed their assault Operation al-Aqsa Flood (or Deluge) (Arabic: عملية طوفان الأقصى‎, romanized: ʿamaliyyat ṭūfān al-ʾAqṣā), whilst Israel named its counteroffensive Operation Iron Swords (Hebrew: מבצע חרבות ברזל‎, romanized: Mivtsá charvót barzél). Several news agencies and observers have described the ongoing conflict as the Third Intifada, following the prior Palestinian uprisings of the First and Second Intifadas. Others have referred to it as the Sukkot War, after the festivity celebrated the day the attack started. Many analysts and officials have described the initial assault as "Israel's 9/11 moment".

Background

See also: Gaza–Israel conflict, July 2023 Jenin incursion, and 2023 Al-Aqsa clashes

The Gaza Strip and Israel have been in conflict since the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and Hamas gaining control of the Gaza Strip after elections in 2006 and a civil war with Fatah in 2007. The Gaza Strip has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since 2007, leading Human Rights Watch to call the strip an "open-air prison". The blockade has caused significant economic hardship within Gaza, and was cited by Hamas as one of the reasons for its offensive.

In 2023, there were several violent flare-ups in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Prior to the attack, including combatants and civilians on both sides, at least 247 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces, while 32 Israelis and two foreign nationals had been killed in Palestinian attacks. After the 2022 Israeli legislative election in November, a Netanyahu-lead right-wing government took office the following month. The goverment ramped up settlement construction in the Israeli-occupied West Bank; an increase in Israeli settler attacks there, which has displaced hundreds of Palestinians; and tensions flaring around a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site, the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The issue of prisoners is considered emotional for both Israelis and Palestinians; since 1967, 750,000—1 million Palestinians have been arrested by Israel. Currently there are at least 4,000 Palestinians (including 170 children) in Israeli prisons, and some have been convicted of terrorism. 1,200 Palestinians are held without any charges or trial; Israel justifies the practice citing security reasons. Prisoner exchanges have long been practiced in the Arab-Israeli conflict. In 2006, Hamas captured Gilad Shalit, forcing Israel to release 1,000 Palestinians, some of whom had been convicted by Israel of terrorism, as part of a prisoner swap.

The attack took place during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah on Shabbat, and a day after the 50th anniversary of the start of the Yom Kippur War, which also began with a surprise attack. In September, two to three weeks of violence occurred at the Gaza–Israel barrier. On 29 September, Qatar, the UN, and Egypt mediated an agreement between Israel and Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip to reopen closed crossing points and de-escelate tensions.

Israel and Saudi Arabia are conducting negotiations to normalize relations, with Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman recently stating that normalization was "for the first time, real". Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it had "repeatedly warned that Israel's ongoing occupation of Gaza would propel further violence."

Timeline

For a chronological guide to this subject, see Timeline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.

For a more comprehensive list, see List of military engagements during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.

Palestinian offensive

Rocket barrages

See also: Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel

Aftermath of a rocket attack in Rishon LeZion

At around 6:30 a.m. Israel Summer Time (UTC+3) on 7 October 2023, Hamas announced the start of what it called "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood", stating that it had fired over 5,000 rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel within a span of 20 minutes. Israeli sources reported that at least 3,000 projectiles had been launched from Gaza. At least five people were killed by the rocket attacks. Explosions were reported in areas surrounding the Strip and in cities in the Sharon Plain including Gedera, Herzliyya, Tel Aviv, and Ashkelon. Air raid sirens were also activated in Beer Sheva, Jerusalem, Rehovot, Rishon Lezion, and Palmachim Airbase. Hamas issued a call to arms, with senior military commander Mohammad Deif calling on "Muslims everywhere to launch an attack".

Palestinian militants also opened fire on Israeli boats off the Gaza Strip, while clashes broke out between Palestinians and the Israel Defense Forces in the eastern section of the Gaza perimeter fence. In the evening Hamas launched another barrage of about 150 rockets towards Israel, with explosions being reported in Yavne, Givatayim, Bat Yam, Beit Dagan, Tel Aviv, and Rishon Lezion. It was followed by another rocket barrage on the morning of 8 October, with one rocket hitting the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. Hamas also fired 100 rockets at Sderot. On 9 October, Hamas fired another barrage in the direction of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with one rocket landing near a terminal of Ben Gurion Airport. Rockets were fired at Tel Aviv and Ashkelon on 10 October, and on Ashkelon on 11 October. A rocket strike on 11 October forced UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who was visiting the town of Ofakim, to run for cover.

Militant incursions into Israel

Further information: Stand-off in Be'eri and Ofakim, Battle of Re'im, Battle of Sderot, Re'im music festival massacre, Netiv HaAsara attack, Be'eri massacre, and Kfar Aza massacre

Approximate situation on 7–8 October

Simultaneously, around 1,000 Palestinian militants infiltrated Israel from Gaza using trucks, pickup trucks, motorcycles, bulldozers, speedboats and paragliders. Images and videos appeared to show heavily armed and masked militants dressed in black fatigue riding pickup trucks and opening fire in Sderot, killing dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers. Other videos appeared to show Israelis taken prisoner and a burning Israeli tank, as well as militants driving Israeli military vehicles.

On the same morning of 7 October, a massacre unfolded at an outdoor music festival near Re'im, resulting in hundreds dead, with many still missing and in hiding. Witnesses recounted militants on motorcycles opening fire on fleeing participants, who were already dispersing due to rocket fire that had wounded some attendees; some were also taken hostage. Infiltrators were also spotted at Nir Oz, Be'eri, and Netiv HaAsara, where they reportedly took hostages and set fire to homes, as well as in kibbutzim around the Gaza Strip. 200 civilians were slaughtered in the Kfar Aza kibbutz. 15 people were killed in the Netiv HaAsara attack. Hostages were also reported to have been taken in Ofakim, while homes in Sderot were set on fire. Hamas said it took prisoners to force Israel to release its Palestinian prisoners, claiming it had taken enough prisoners to secure the release of all Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas militants carried out an amphibious landing in Zikim. Palestinian sources claim that the local Israeli army base was stormed. The IDF said it had killed two attackers on the beach and destroyed four vessels, including two rubber boats. A military base outside Nahal Oz was also taken by the militants, leaving at least two Israeli soldiers dead and at least six others captured. Fighting was reported at Re'im military base, headquarters of the Gaza Division. It was later reported that Hamas took control of the base and had taken several Israeli soldiers captive before the IDF regained control later in the day. The police station of Sderot was reported to have come under Hamas control, with militants killing 30 Israelis, including policemen and civilians. Following the arrival of IDF reinforcements, soldiers surrounded the police station and regained control over it, killing at least ten Hamas militants.

Several Palestinian groups voiced their support for the operation. The National Resistance Brigades, the armed wing of the secular-socialist Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) confirmed their participation in the operation through their military spokesman Abu Khaled. On 7 October they claimed to have lost three fighters in combat with the IDF, and said on 8 October that they were engaged with Israeli forces in Kfar Aza, Be'eri, and Kissufim. The PFLP, another Palestinian socialist militant group, and the Lions' Den group voiced their support for the operation and declared maximum alertness and general mobilization amongst their troops, and the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades (armed wing of the PFLP) published videos of it storming Israeli watchtowers.

An Israeli military spokesman stated that the militants from Gaza had entered Israel through at least seven locations and invaded four small rural Israeli communities, the border city of Sderot, and two military bases from both land and sea. Israeli media reported that seven communities came under Hamas control, including Nahal Oz, Kfar Aza, Magen, Be'eri, and Sufa. The Erez Crossing was reported to have come under Hamas control, enabling the militants to enter Israel from Gaza. Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said that there were 21 active high-confrontation locations in southern Israel.

On 10 October, Hamas militants carried out another incursion into an industrial zone in Ashkelon, where at least three of them were killed in clashes with the IDF.

Israeli response

7 October

The attack, which coincided with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, appeared to have been a complete surprise to the Israelis. The day was regarded as the deadliest for Jewish civilians since the end of the Holocaust.

The Iron Dome air defense system was activated. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant conducted security assessments at Israel Defense Forces (IDF) headquarters in Tel Aviv. Gallant later approved the mobilisation of tens of thousands of army reservists and declared a state of emergency for areas within 80 kilometers (50 mi) of the Gaza border. He also said that Hamas "made a grave mistake" in launching its attack and pledged that "Israel will win". The IDF declared a "state of readiness for war". It also said that the reservists were to be deployed not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank and along the borders with Lebanon and Syria. Residents in areas around the Gaza Strip were asked to stay inside, while civilians in southern and central Israel were "required to stay next to shelters". Roads around the Gaza Strip were closed by the IDF. The streets of Tel Aviv were also locked down.

Following the assault, Israel declared a heightened state of preparedness for potential conflict. The IDF declared a state of readiness for war, and Netanyahu convened an emergency gathering of security authorities. The IDF additionally reported their initiation of targeted actions in the Gaza Strip under what it called "Operation Iron Swords". Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai announced that a "state of war" existed, following what he called "a massive attack from the Gaza Strip". He also announced the closure of the entire southern region of Israel to "civilian movement" as well as the deployment of the Yamam counterterrorism unit to the area. The IDF's chief spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said four divisions were deployed to the area, augmenting 31 preexisting battalions.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the country was facing "a very difficult moment", and offered strength and encouragement to the IDF, other security forces, rescue services, and residents who were under attack. In a televised broadcast, Netanyahu stated: "We are at war." He also said that the IDF would reinforce its border deployments to deter others from 'making the mistake of joining this war'. In a later address, he threatened to "turn Gaza into a deserted island", and urged its residents to "leave now".

While Ben Gurion Airport and Ramon Airport remained operational, multiple airlines cancelled flights to and from Israel. Israel Railways suspended service throughout portions the country and replaced some routes with temporary bus routes, while cruise ships removed ports like Ashdod and Haifa from their itineraries.

Overnight on 7–8 October, Israel's Security Cabinet voted to undertake a series of actions to bring about the "destruction of the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad", according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office. The Israel Electric Corporation, which supplies up to 80% of the Gaza Strip's electricity, cut off power to the area. As a result, Gaza's power supply was reduced from 120 MW to only 20 MW, forcing it to rely on power plants paid for by the Palestinian Authority.

Stand-off in Be'eri and Ofakim

Main articles: Stand-off in Be'eri and Ofakim and Be'eri massacre

In Be'eri, Hamas militants took up to 50 people hostage. During a stand-off between militants and IDF forces, videos emerged from Be'eri showing the hostages being led by Hamas militants barefoot across a street in town. Approximately 18 hours after the stand-off began, the IDF announced that they had freed the hostages in Be'eri. In the town of Urim, a suburb of Ofakim, two Israelis were rescued by the IDF. Four Hamas militants were killed, and three Israeli soldiers were injured during the rescue.

Airstrikes in the Gaza Strip

Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulance after being damaged by an Israeli airstrike

The IDF said it attacked targets in Gaza using fighter jets, reportedly hitting 17 Hamas military compounds and four operational command centres. Among the locations struck was the 11-story Palestine Tower in downtown Gaza City that housed Hamas radio stations on the rooftop. Israel also struck two hospitals, killing an ambulance driver and a nurse.

8 October

Overnight Israel struck up to 426 targets in the Gaza Strip. The town of Beit Hanoun was mostly leveled by airstrikes, and the Al-Amin Muhammad Mosque was destroyed. Targets also included various housing blocks, tunnels, homes of Hamas officials, and the Watan Tower, which served as a hub for internet providers in the area. One Israeli airstrike killed 19 members of the same family (including women and children); survivors of the airstrike said there were no militants in their area nor were they warned.

Remains of the Sderot police station, following recapture by IDF.

The Security Cabinet formally placed the country under a state of war for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The IDF stated that two hostage situations had been "resolved". The IDF also said it had secured 22 locations from Palestinian forces but were still trying to clear eight other locations including Sderot and Kfar Aza. In one community, it rescued nearly 50 hostages. Several Palestinian gunmen riding in a stolen car were killed by Israeli forces near Ashkelon following a shootout on a main road. Israeli forces also retook Sderot police station, killing ten militants. At the same time, more Palestinian fighters were reported to have entered Magen, while 70 Palestinian reinforcements arrived at Be'eri.

Evacuations of residents living near the Gaza Strip were ordered, and Netanyahu appointed former brigadier general Gal Hirsch as the government's point man on missing and kidnapped citizens. The IDF said it had called in up to 300,000 reservists and said it was aiming to eliminate Hamas's military capabilities and overthrow its rule over the Gaza Strip.

A lockdown was imposed on the West Bank by the IDF.

9 October

Further information: October 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, Jabalia camp market airstrike, and Al-Shati Camp airstrike

Approximate situation on 9 October

Building in the Gaza Strip being levelled by Israeli missiles

The IDF reportedly struck 500 targets in the Gaza Strip overnight, including the densely populated Jabalia refugee camp, causing "dozens" of casualties, including children. IDF stated it established full control over Israeli towns around the Gaza perimeter fence. Operations against militants continued in Sderot. Hamas said that it would execute Israeli hostages if Israel continued to bombard "civilian homes without advanced warning."

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a "total" blockade of the Gaza Strip that would cut electricity and block the entry of food and fuel, adding that "We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly." Human Rights Watch called the order "abhorrent" and called on the International Criminal Court to make "note of this call to commit a war crime." The IDF said 15 communities around the Gaza Strip had been evacuated.

The Israeli Air Force deployed C-130 and C-130J heavy transport planes across Europe to collect hundreds of off-duty IDF personnel to be deployed in the conflict.

10 October

Israeli forces reclaimed Kfar Aza and began collecting the dead, reporting they found the bodies of victims mutilated, with women and babies beheaded in their homes. The bodies of 40 babies and young children were taken out on gurneys, out of what one estimate described as at least 100 civilian victims.

The IDF said it had mobilized up to 360,000 reservists, and launched airstrikes at the al-Daraj and al-Furqan neighborhoods in Gaza, as well as the Port of Gaza. It also largely destroyed the al-Karama and Rimal neighborhoods of Gaza City, which hosted ministries of the Hamas-run government, universities, media organizations and aid agencies. Israeli warplanes also struck the Rafah border crossing linking Gaza and Egypt, damaging a hall on the Palestinian side and prompting its closure. Israel again hits Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt to prevent humanitarian aid from getting to civilians in Gaza as it is being sieged. The family residence of Mohammed Deif in Khan Younis was also struck, killing his father, brother and at least two other relatives.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced that the ministry was purchasing 10,000 rifles to arm civilian security teams, particularly in border communities, mixed Jewish-Arab cities and West Bank settlements. He added that 4,000 assault rifles, as well as helmets and bulletproof vests had already been acquired from a domestic manufacturer and were to be distributed immediately.

11 October

Israeli warplanes struck and destroyed several buildings of the Islamic University of Gaza, saying that it had been turned into a weapons factory and training ground. Rockets from Gaza struck a hospital in Ashkelon.

Israel formed an emergency war government, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz heading a war cabinet with Gadi Eizenkot and Ron Dermer as observers.

The Gaza Strip's only power plant ran out of fuel circa a day after a total blockade against Gaza was implemented, which caused all gas and other types of fuel to be cut off.

Outside Israel and the Gaza Strip

See also: October 2023 Hezbollah strike, 2023 Alexandria shooting, and October 2023 Syrian-Israeli exchanges

7 October

Between 7 and 8 October, 11 Palestinian youths, including a 13-year-old, were killed in confrontations with Israeli forces throughout the occupied West Bank.

8 October

In the morning, Hezbollah fired rockets and shells at the Shebaa Farms region; in response the IDF fired artillery shells and sent a military drone into southern Lebanon. Two Lebanese children were reportedly injured by broken glass.

In Alexandria, Egypt, a policeman attacked Israeli tourists and their Egyptian guides, killing two Israelis and one Egyptian, and wounding a third Israeli. The policeman was detained by the Egyptian police. Video footage confirmed that a small unit belonging to Palestinian militias had arrived at the Jewish settlement of Psagot near occupied East Jerusalem. According to the statement, the unit, made up of several fighters from Gaza, clashed with Israeli soldiers at the Qalandia checkpoint.

9 October

The IDF claimed to have killed several infiltrators from Lebanon and fired artillery across the border. Hezbollah denied involvement in the incident. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militia later claimed responsibility for the armed infiltration. Later in the day, fighting began again between Hezbollah and Israeli troops, resulting in three Hezbollah gunmen being killed. Three IDF soldiers, including a senior officer, were killed, while the IDF's Home Front Command ordered residents in 28 towns in northern Israel to seek refuge in bomb shelters. Artillery shelling was also reported from militants based in Syria.

10 October

Israeli police killed two Palestinians accused of throwing stones at them in East Jerusalem. Clashes broke out again on the Israel-Lebanon border after Hezbollah fired an anti-tank guided missile at an Israeli military vehicle in the Avivim area, prompting a retaliatory Israeli helicopter strike.

11 October

Clashes broke out between Hezbollah and the IDF along the Israel-Lebanon border again, with the IDF ordering residents in northern Israel to seek shelter following reports of drones being launched from southern Lebanon. A Patriot missile was launched to intercept a suspicious projectile, after which the IDF found that the object in question was not a drone. Warning sirens were activated across northern Israel after reports emerged that up to 20 infiltrators on paragliders had entered Israeli territory from Lebanon before the IDF dismissed the report as a false alarm.

In the West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked the village of Qusra, killing four Palestinians. A 16-year old was fatally shot by the IDF in Bani Naim, while another person was also shot dead by the IDF near Bethlehem.

Casualties

Israeli

Israeli UH-60 evacuating wounded personnel

At least 1,200 Israelis were killed, including 189 soldiers and 45 police officers, over 2,900 wounded, and 130–150 IDF soldiers and civilians taken hostage. Casualties include several Arab Israelis, especially Negev Bedouin. On 7 October, over 100 civilians were killed in the Be'eri massacre, including women and children; and over 260 attendees were killed at a music festival in Re'im. As of 10 October, over 100 people had been reported killed in the Kfar Aza massacre, with the total death toll unknown. Nine people were fatally shot at a bus shelter in Sderot. At least four people were reported killed in Kuseife. At least 400 casualties were reported in Ashkelon, while 280 others were reported in Beer Sheva, 60 of which were in a serious condition. In the north, injuries from rocket attacks were reported in Tel Aviv.

Former Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. striker Lior Asulin was among those killed in the Re'im music festival massacre. The head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, Ofir Libstein, was killed in an exchange of fire with the militants. The police commander of Rahat, Jayar Davidov, was also killed. The IDF confirmed that 189 of its soldiers had been killed. Among their confirmed dead were Colonel Yonatan Steinberg, the commander of the Nahal Brigade, who was killed near Kerem Shalom; Colonel Roi Levy, commander of the Multidimensional "Ghost" unit, who was killed near Kibbutz Re'im; and Lieutenant Colonel Eli Ginsberg, commander of the LOTAR Counter-terrorism Unit School. The Druze deputy commander of the 300th "Baram" Regional Brigade, Lieutanant Colonel Alim Abdallah, was killed in action along with two other soldiers while responding to an infiltration from southern Lebanon on 9 October.

At least 150 Israelis were taken hostage by Hamas and transported to the Gaza Strip. On 8 October, Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed to be holding at least 30 captives. At least four people were reportedly taken from Kfar Aza. Videos from Gaza appeared to show captured people, with Gazan residents cheering trucks carrying dead bodies. An MDA ambulance was also reportedly taken by the militants to Gaza. Four captives were later reported to have been killed in Be'eri, while Hamas claimed that an IDF airstrike on Gaza on 9 October killed four captives. Among those believed to have been abducted was Vivian Silver, a peace activist and former board member of the human rights organisation B'Tselem, who went missing following the attack on Be'eri. Yedioth Ahronoth photographer Roy Idan was reported missing and likely captured alongside his child in Kfar Aza. His wife was killed and two of their children were able to hide in a closet until rescued.

Palestinian

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that, as of 11 October, at least 1,100 Palestinians, including 326 children, had been killed and 5,339 others had been injured inside of Gaza. Four Palestinians were killed and five others were wounded in clashes with the IDF along Gaza's perimeter fence. The Israeli Defense Forces estimated on 10 October that the bodies of approximately 1,500 Palestinian militants had been found inside Israel. Five Palestinian militants were reported to have been killed in Sderot.

On 8 October, ten civilians were reportedly killed in a strike on a residential building in Shabora near Khan Younis. A Hamas leader named Ayman Younis was reported to have been killed after a shelling. On 9 October 19 people, including the leader of a local armed group, were killed in an airstrike in Rafah. At least 50 people were reportedly killed in an airstrike on the Jabalia Camp.

On 10 October, the head of Hamas's National Relations Office, Zakaria Abu Muammar, was said to have been killed in Khan Yunis. The IDF confirmed that they had killed Jawad Abu Shamala, the economy minister for Hamas, in a drone strike.

The United Nations said that the fighting had displaced more than 339,000 Palestinians, and Israeli airstrikes had destroyed 159 housing units and severely damaged 1,210 others. Israeli attacks on three infrastructure facilities also cut off water and sanitation services to 400,000 people.

Foreign and dual-national casualties

As of 11 October, the Washington Post reported that persons from 23 countries had been killed or went missing during the conflict.

Country	Deaths	Captured	Missing	Ref.
Thailand	20	11	Unknown
United States	22	Unknown	Unknown
Nepal	10	17	1
Argentina	7	Unknown	15
France	8	1	0
Russia	4	Unknown	6
Chile	4	1	0
Canada	3	Unknown	2
Philippines	2	2	3
Paraguay	2	Unknown	2
Ukraine	3	9	6
United Kingdom	2	Unknown	8
Brazil	2	Unknown	1
Australia	1	Unknown	Unknown
Cambodia	1	0	0
Peru	1	Unknown	3
Portugal	1	0	1
Romania	1	0	0
Spain	1	0	0
Germany	1	5	Unknown
Ireland	1	Unknown	Unknown
Mexico	0	2	0
China	0	Unknown	4
Italy	Unknown	Unknown	2
Tanzania	Unknown	Unknown	2
Sri Lanka	1	Unknown	2
Denmark	Unknown	Unknown	1
Colombia	Unknown	Unknown	2
Austria	1	2	Unknown

The Nepali ambassador to Israel, Kanta Rijal, said at least seven of its nationals in the country were injured in the attack, and that they along with ten others were held captive by Hamas at an agricultural farm in Alumim. The Nepalese embassy later confirmed that 10 Nepalese students were killed during the attack in the area of Kibbutz Alumim. Israeli media also reported that migrant workers from Thailand and the Philippines were also taken captive by Palestinian militants. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed that 18 of its nationals were killed during the Palestinian attack, while 8 others were injured and 11 were captured by the militants. The Philippine government confirmed that two Filipinos were killed while two others were injured in the attacks, with authorities verifying reports of Filipinos being held captive by Hamas. 26 Filipinos were rescued by Israeli security forces, while three Filipinos were unaccounted for.

A German–Israeli national was reportedly killed while attending the Re'im music festival; a video of Palestinians parading her near-naked body in a car was circulated on the internet, and her credit card was reportedly used subsequently in Gaza. She was later said to be alive but in "critical condition" in a hospital in Gaza. Several other German citizens were reported to be among those kidnapped by militants. At least 17 British citizens were reported as dead or missing, including one attendee of the music festival. Eight French nationals, three Ukrainians, a Cambodian student, and a Chilean woman were confirmed to have been killed by Hamas.

At least 22 Americans were killed during the attacks, with reports of more missing and captives held in Gaza. Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs reported that two Mexican nationals were presumed to have been taken hostage by Hamas. One Brazilian national was reported as injured and three were reported missing. An Indian caregiver was injured by a rocket barrage in Ashkelon. The British embassy confirmed the death of a British national who attended the music festival.

Spanish foreign minister José Manuel Albares said two Spaniards were attacked without specifying their condition. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that an Italian-Israeli couple went missing in Be'eri. Two Tanzanian students were reported by their embassy to be missing. The Russian Embassy stated that four Russian nationals were killed and six others went missing following the attack. Four Argentinians were reported to have been killed and three were reported missing.

The Canadian government stated that three Canadians were killed, and that two other Canadians were missing. A Paraguayan couple was reported killed, with the government also reporting two nationals missing. An Irish attendee of the music festival was reported missing. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru confirmed that a Peruvian-Israeli soldier was killed in action on the front line, while 3 remained missing. A Colombian couple attending the music festival was reported missing after the attack. The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that three Austrian-Israeli dual nationals had been captured, and that one of them had later been confirmed dead.

Journalists

At least six Palestinian journalists in Gaza were reported to have been killed by Israeli attacks while in the line of duty. Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi, a photographer for Ain Media, was fatally shot during the attack on the Erez crossing on 7 October, while Mohammad Jarghoun, a reporter with Smart Media, was killed east of Rafah on the same day. Free-lance journalist Mohammad el-Salhi was also shot dead on the border east of Bureij refugee camp on 7 October. On 9 October, Saeed al-Taweel, editor-in-chief of Al-Khamsa News website, Mohammed Subh and Hisham Alnwajha were killed by an airstrike while filming an anticipated attack in Gaza City. Two other journalists were reported missing, and another was injured by shrapnel. The homes of two journalists were destroyed by shelling, and the offices of four media outlets were destroyed by airstrikes.

In Israel, Roee Idan, a photographer for Ynet was reported missing and believed to have been taken hostage along with his three-year old daughter, while his wife was killed, shortly after documenting Hamas's attack on Kfar Aza. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that on 7 October, a television crew for Sky News Arabia was assaulted and their equipment damaged by Israeli police in Ashkelon, with correspondent Firas Lutfi saying that police aimed rifles at his head, forced him to undress and evicted them from the area under escort after confiscating their phones.

Humanitarian workers

On 11 October the United Nations' UNRWA reported that nine of their workers were killed in an Israeli air-strike on the Gaza strip and that the UNRWA headquarters was being targeted by Israel. UNRWA said a school sheltering more than 225 people was struck. 11 UNRWA and five members of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies were killed in Gaza since the start of the fighting.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said a nurse and an ambulance driver were killed in Israeli strikes on two hospitals. Palestinian media reported that several casualties occurred after an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at an ambulance in front of the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. A paramedic was reported to be in critical condition. MSF stated a missile hit the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, killing one nurse, one ambulance driver and injuring several others. The Indonesian Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) confirmed that a local staff member was killed near an operational MER-C vehicle.

War crimes

A UN Commission to the Israel-Palestine conflict stated on 10 October that there is "clear evidence that war crimes may have been committed in the latest explosion of violence in Israel and Gaza, and all those who have violated international law and targeted civilians must be held accountable."

Palestinian militant groups

Further information: Re'im music festival massacre, Netiv HaAsara attack, Be'eri massacre, and Kfar Aza massacre

According to Human Rights Watch, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups infiltrated homes, shot civilians en masse, and took scores of Israeli civilians as hostages into Gaza. It said that the deliberate targeting of civilians, indiscriminate attacks, and taking of civilians as hostages amount to war crimes under international humanitarian law.

In addition, there were several reports of Israeli children and babies who had been beheaded by Hamas. The Israeli prime minister's office confirmed reports of babies and toddlers being decapitated in Kfar Aza on Wednesday, Oct. 11th. Hamas immediately denied this and claimed that it had never targeted civilians at all and responded to the allegations by stating "The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas has strongly dismissed the false claims promoted by some Western media outlets, such as Palestinian freedom fighters killing children and targeting civilians."

These actions have been described by legal experts as constituting war crimes, and likely crimes against humanity. The attack by Palestinian groups has been categorized by the Israeli government as a war crime.

Claims that women were raped have been made and widely repeated, but Israeli officials have said they have no evidence of rape. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International stated that Palestinian militants targeted Israeli civilians.

Israeli

Further information: Jabalia camp market airstrike and October 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip

See also: Allegations of war crimes against Israel

On 9 October, the Israeli defense minister stated that he had ordered a "complete siege" of the Gaza Strip, saying electricity, food, fuel and water would be cut off. The Palestinian envoy to the UN denounced the bombardment of Gaza and the threatened siege, stating that such acts constitute war crimes. American National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that based on consultations betweeen Israel and the US, "the concept of siege is not something that in fact is going to be pursued by the Israeli government." On 11 October, NPR reported that Gaza's main power plant shut down and Israel had put Gaza under complete siege, barring the entry of fuel, food, water and medicine.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International argued that this would potentially meet the standards of a war crime if implemented.

Negotiations

On 9 October, Reuters reported that Qatar was mediating talks between Israel and Hamas to secure the release of female Israeli prisoners in exchange for Israel releasing 36 Palestinian women and children. However, Israel had not confirmed such negotiations were taking place.

An Egyptian official told the Associated Press that Israel sought Egyptian assistance to ensure the safety of hostages held by Palestinian militants, and that Egypt's intelligence chief contacted Hamas and Islamic Jihad to seek information. Egyptian officials were reportedly mediating the release of Palestinian women in Israeli prisons in exchange for Israeli women captured by Palestinian militants.

Reactions

Reactions in Israel

Volunteers organizing deliveries for soldiers in Nesher

The protest group Kaplan Force announced the cancellation of its demonstration against the judicial reform planned for 7 October in Tel Aviv. The group expressed support for the IDF, stating that they were standing by "the IDF and the security forces carrying out their duties during this difficult time and hope for the restoration of calm and security". Forum 555 and Brothers in Arms, a protest group of reservist soldiers that organized boycotts of the military draft in protest against the judicial reform, called on reservists to serve if they were called up.

Magen David Adom appealed for blood donations and announced plans for a special blood donation drive in Tel Aviv on 7 October. Israel's Education Ministry announced the closure of all schools in the country on 7 October. This was later extended indefinitely. The ministry later said that classes would resume under an online setup on 15 October. The Haifa International Film Festival was cancelled. Bruno Mars canceled his scheduled concert in Tel Aviv on 7 October due to the attacks and left Israel. On 8 October, UEFA cancelled all of its scheduled football matches in Israel for the coming two weeks, including a qualifier for the Euro 2024 tournament between Israel and Switzerland on 12 October.

An investigation was launched as to the failure of Israeli authorities to prevent the attack from occurring. Ofer Cassif, a member of the Knesset, told Al Jazeera that his left-wing Hadash party had repeatedly warned that the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories would lead to events like this, where innocent civilians on both sides pay the price. He called the Israeli government "fascist", and accused it of carrying out pogroms and acts of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian population. Haaretz, a major Israeli newspaper, published an editorial on 8 October which said that the attack was the "clear responsibility of one person: Benjamin Netanyahu." The paper described the prime minister as having "completely failed to identify the dangers he was consciously leading Israel into when establishing a government of annexation and dispossession". On 9 October, the paper published an article by Alon Pinkas saying Netanyahu should no longer be the prime minister. Pinkas wrote: "There is a clear and present danger that all his wartime decisions against Hamas will be polluted by personal, legal and petty political considerations. He has been a poor prime minister from Lebanon to China."

Emergency unity government

Main article: Israeli war cabinet

Among opposition parties, Yesh Atid leader and former prime minister Yair Lapid, National Unity chairman Benny Gantz, Yisrael Beiteinu party leader Avigdor Lieberman and Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli issued a joint statement expressing full backing for the IDF and unity with the government, saying: "In times like these, there is no opposition and coalition in Israel."

Netanyahu proposed that Yesh Atid and National Unity enter an emergency unity government with his Likud-led coalition, after Lapid urged Netanyahu put "aside our differences and form an emergency, narrow, professional government". Lapid said that Israel could not effectively manage the war with "the extreme and dysfunctional composition of the current cabinet" and called upon Netanyahu to eject the far-right Religious Zionist Party and Otzma Yehudit parties as a condition for Yesh Atid to join an emergency unity government. The National Unity party met with Likud on 9 October to discuss a possible unity government.

On 11 October, an emergency unity government was formally announced between Likud and National Unity following a joint statement from the latter party, with Benny Gantz, a former defence minister and military chief of staff, joining a war cabinet also consisting of Netanyahu as Prime Minister and Yoav Gallant as Defence Minister. The statement said the unity government would not promote any unrelated policy or laws except those related to the ongoing fighting with Hamas. It was not immediately clear if the incoming government would include Netanyahu's existing far-right and ultra-Orthodox coalition partners. Haaretz reported that former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer would join the war cabinet as observers.

Economics

The Israeli energy ministry ordered Chevron to temporarily shut down the offshore Tamar gas field.

On 8 October, Israel's TA-35 index fell by 6.47%, its largest loss since 2020. The value of the New Israeli Shekel fell by 1.63% to trade at 3.90 against the US dollar, its weakest showing in seven years. In response, the Bank of Israel announced on 9 October that it would sell up to $30 billion in foreign reserves to support and provide up to $15 billion in liquidity to the market through SWAP mechanisms. This was the Israeli central bank's first ever sale of foreign exchange.

Reactions in Palestine

The Palestinian Education Ministry said schools in the Gaza Strip were closed until further notice. The Palestinian Health Ministry appealed for blood donations.

At an emergency meeting with officials of the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Palestinians had the right to defend themselves against the "terror of settlers and occupation troops". In the West Bank, celebrations occurred in Ramallah. Neighborhood watches were established in 50 locations amid fears of reprisals by Israeli settlers, while a general strike was called for 8 October. Seven Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli forces on 7 October, while 126 others were injured. Clashes on 8 October killed six more Palestinians.

Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri told Al Jazeera that its forces had taken enough Israeli hostages to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel in an exchange. Hamas spokesperson Abu Obaida said it was holding captured Israeli soldiers in "safe places" and tunnels. A spokesperson for Palestinian Islamic Jihad stated that they do not consider Israeli citizens to be civilians: "We are not killing civilians. This is a military society. They are the ones who elect their governments."

Hamas stated that it had abducted Israelis to secure the freedom of Palestinian prisoners, which are currently estimated to number between 4,499–5,200, including 170 children. Prisoner exchanges have long been practiced in the Arab–Israeli conflict. In 2006, Hamas captured Gilad Shalit, forcing Israel to release 1,000 Palestinians, some of whom had been convicted by Israel of terrorism, as part of a prisoner swap.

International

Main article: International reactions to the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

From the left: Pro-Palestinian protest in Istanbul, Turkey • Pro-Israeli protest in Berlin, Germany

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the ongoing situation in Israel, 7 October 2023

International leaders, including from Argentina, India, Taiwan, the United States, and European countries condemned the attacks by Hamas, expressed solidarity with Israel, and said Israel has a right to defend itself from armed attacks and describing Hamas's tactics as terrorism. In a White House briefing, Biden expressed solidarity with Israel. The European Union announced it would review aid to Palestinian authorities but stopped short of suspending it. Austria, Germany, and Sweden suspended humanitarian aid to Palestine in response to Hamas's attack and said that they would review other projects and aid given.

Some Arab League countries, such as Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and non-Arab countries like Iran, Pakistan, and North Korea expressed support for the Palestinians, blaming the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories for the escalation of violence. Bangladesh and a number of other countries called for de-escalation and a ceasefire. Demonstrations took place in many Middle Eastern countries, such as Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iran in solidarity with the Palestinian groups. Argentina, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Uruguay stated that they would increase security in Jewish-associated sites in response to the attack.

Numerous countries of the Muslim world cited the denial of Palestinian self-determination as the root cause of the escalation. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria and Turkey demanded de-escalation. Qatar and Malaysia cited the violent incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque by Zionist settlers as one of the major reasons that triggered the war, with Qatar urging countries across the world to stop IDF attacks. The Taliban in Afghanistan declared its support of Palestinian military operations, describing it as the "defense and resistance of the people of Palestine".

Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad said Hamas had direct backing for the attack from Iran; the Iranian Foreign Ministry denied any direct role in the attacks, while praising the military operations as a "spontaneous movement" of Palestinian resistance against the aggression of "Zionist occupier regime". Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, did not claim responsiblity for the attacks but instead said that he was proud of the militants. He also posted a video from the war on X, resulting in criticism from Elon Musk. He warned Israel of future consequences. Three days prior, he warned Saudi Arabia not to "bet on the losing horse".

On 8 October, the United Nations Security Council held a closed-door meeting for 90 minutes on the conflict. The meeting concluded without the unanimity required for a joint statement to be released. Brazil announced a rescue operation of nationals using an air force transport aircraft. Poland announced that it would deploy two C-130 transport planes to evacuate 200 of its nationals from Ben-Gurion airport. Hungary evacuated 215 of its nationals from Israel using two aircraft on 9 October, while Romania evacuated 245 of its citizens, including two pilgrimage groups, on two TAROM planes and two private aircraft on the same day. Australia also announced repatriation flights. 300 Nigerian pilgrims in Israel fled to Jordan before being airlifted home.

On 10 October, Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, stated, "Some of the actions [by Israel]—and the United Nations has already said it—cutting water, cutting electricity, cutting food to a mass of civilian people, is against international law. So yes, there are some actions that are not in accordance with international law."

Disinformation

A photograph was released appearing to show Major General Nimrod Aloni, the commander of the IDF Depth Corps, being held by Palestinians in the early hours of the attack. Hamas also claimed to have captured him. A Persian language post by the IDF quoted a post about his capture from Tasnim News Agency and wrote "Tasnim: Distributors of fake news of IRGC" without either denying or confirming the capture of Aloni. Aloni was subsequently seen on 8 October attending a meeting of top Israeli military officials.

On 9 October, X (formerly known as Twitter) said there were more than 50 million posts on the platform about the conflict. Disinformation about the war spread on social media platforms, particularly X. On 10 October, researchers found that a network of 67 X accounts was coordinating a campaign of pushing false information about the war. The European Union warned Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg that X and Meta were hosting disinformation and illegal content about the war, with potential fines of up to 6% of the companies' global revenue. Musk had previously recommended two accounts that previously promoted a false claim about an explosion near the Pentagon for updates about the war.

Viral claims that the IDF had destroyed Gaza's Church of Saint Porphyrius were debunked by the church. Far-right commentator Ian Miles Cheong posted a video of Israeli law enforcement that he claimed to show Palestinian militants killing Israeli citizens. Other videos falsely linked to the war included an 4 October video of children in cages and footage from video game Arma 3 being presented as Hamas militants shooting down an Israeli helicopter. Fake accounts pretending to be a BBC journalist and The Jerusalem Post promoted false information about the war prior to X suspending them.

Soon after the Hamas attacks on Israel, former President Donald Trump and other Republicans tried to cast blame on Joe Biden because of the prisoner release deal with Iran; however, these funds under the supervision of the United States Department of the Treasury are used only for humanitarian purposes, and there is no evidence that they were used in the war.

Military reactions

The United States sent Israel military aid. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the deployment of a naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford to the eastern Mediterranean. The group also included the cruiser USS Normandy and the destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt. The US Air Force augmented its F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter squadrons in the region. Hamas called the move an "attempt to boost the morale of the crumbling Israeli army" and "participation in the aggression against our people". Likewise, Hezbollah said that "sending aircraft carriers to the region will not frighten the resistance factions ready for confrontation until victory is achieved".

Germany had sent two Heron TP drones to Israel.

Analysis

According to Daniel Byman and Alexander Palmer, the attacks showcased the decline of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the rise of Hamas as the main power center in Palestinian politics. They predicted the PLO's further decline if the status quo held. Citing the Israeli intelligence failure, which some observers attributed to the incumbent government focusing more on internal dissent, the judicial reform, and efforts to deepen Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, some commentators criticized Netanyahu for putting aside the PLO and propping up Hamas, and described him as a liability.

According to Israeli analyst Seth Frantzman, the attack signified a notable escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. It stood out for its substantial scale and reach, encompassing both rocket fire and border attacks in Gaza. This event marked a significant departure from prior conflicts, which typically followed a phased progression with a gradual escalation of tensions. It has been compared to the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 2001 September 11 attacks, the 2003 Ramadan Offensive, the 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor, and the 1968 Tet Offensive. Like the Viet Cong Tet Offensive, Hamas's offensive came on the morning of a holiday, seemed to be "everywhere at once", and demonstrated capabilities not thought possible in a guerrilla force.

Opinion change within the Western World

The event was described by Noah Rothman as a "Sister Souljah moment" — a radical change of opinion — within left-leaning parties in the Western World; many had prominent elected officials who generally took the side of or expressed sympathy with the Palestinian government in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Leaders of the Democratic Party in the United States, the Social Democrats in Germany, the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, the Liberal Party in Canada, and many other left-wing and center-left parties throughout the Western World expressed support and sympathy for Israel in the war. Shri Thanedar of Michigan announced that he was resigning from the Democratic Socialists of America for the organization's stance on the matter. Polling in the United States indicated that the Democratic Party's sympathy and approval of Israel had skyrocketed in the aftermath; an overwhelming majority took its side and expressed greater sympathy for Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Both right-wing and left-wing commentators questioned whether support for Hamas — or more broadly, the Palestinian side in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute — made sense under any conceivable left-wing framework. Victoria Brownworth of Philadelphia Gay News wrote: "For LGBTQ+ people in the region, there is no question that Israel is the only safe place for queer and trans people. Homosexuality is illegal in Gaza and forced marriage is common for lesbians and gay men. Rumored honor killings have been rampant for years in the region, as is corrective rape of lesbians." Noah Smith similarly argued that "Hamas... is a religious right-wing group, and its supporters explicitly use Nazi stylings. Leftists have fallen pretty low if that’s the best team they can find to cheer for."

Joan Smith, elected chair of Labour Humanists, a group which promotes secularist policies and humanist values within the UK Labour Party, wrote: "...They rape girls; they parade women’s bodies; they deliberately target events where many of the injured and dead will be female... Yet every atrocity has its apologists, who claim the terrorists are really freedom fighters... Witnessing this species of rape apology over the last few days has made me sick to my stomach ... in 2019 the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics said that 41% of women in Gaza had experienced domestic violence. In a patriarchal society, where reporting this kind of violence is likely to be met with indifference, the real figure is bound to be much higher. What this means is both chilling and obvious. When people who imagine themselves to be “progressive” cheer on Hamas, they’re siding with pitiless misogynists. And it is women, in both Israel and Gaza, who get forgotten when idiots make excuses for rapists and murderers.

Context of the Israeli occupation

Other analysts stressed that the Palestinian attacks came in the context of the Israeli occupation. Stephen M. Walt wrote that Palestinians feel they have no choice but to use force against the occupier, and that the Palestinian offensive was a violent response to Israel's decades long treatment of Palestinians. The Hindu wrote that the Israeli occupation was "the longest in modern history" and created a "fuming volcano". According to the Associated Press, Palestinians are "in despair over a never-ending occupation in the West Bank and suffocating blockade of Gaza".

Roger Cohen wrote that the increasing Israeli control over millions of Palestinians "incubated bloodshed". Prior to the attack Saudi Arabia had warned Israel of an "explosion" as a result of the continued occupation. According to Daoud Kuttab, Egypt had warned Israel of a catastrophe unless there was political progress, and similar warnings were given by Palestinian Authority officials. Less than two months before the attacks, King Abdullah II of Jordan had lamented that Palestinians have "no civil rights; no freedom of mobility".

Simon Tisdall pointed to the uptick in Israeli–Palestinian violence in 2023 as portending war, and claimed that Netanyahu refused to negotiate the peace process, adding fuel to the fire. Many Israelis assumed the Palestinian question had become a nonissue, and the rights of Palestinians were ignored. Yousef Munayyer wrote that the Biden administration had ignored the Palestinian issue. As late as 29 September, Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, proclaimed that "the Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades." The Palestinian issue disappeared from the global agenda.

According to an analysis in The Independent, the blockade on Gaza created hopelessness among Palestinians, and this was exploited by Hamas, who convinced young Palestinian men that violence was the only solution. Daoud Kuttab writes that Palestinian attempts to solve the conflict via negotiations or non-violent boycotts have been fruitless. For The Times of Israel, Tal Schneider wrote: "For years, the various governments led by Benjamin Netanyahu took an approach that divided power between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank—bringing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to his knees while making moves that propped up the Hamas terror group. The idea was to prevent Abbas—or anyone else in the Palestinian Authority's West Bank government—from advancing toward the establishment of a Palestinian state."

Israeli intelligence failure

Political journalist Peter Beaumont described the attack as "an intelligence failure for the ages" on the part of the Israeli government. Similarly, the Jewish News Syndicate deemed it a "failure of imagination". A BBC report tackled the intelligence failure question, claiming that while Israel had the most extensive and well-funded intelligence agency in the region, and a network of informants and agents inside militant groups, it had failed to foresee the escalation. It added that "it must have taken extraordinary levels of operational security by Hamas." US officials expressed shock at how Israeli intelligence was unaware of any preparations by Hamas.

Amir Avivi, former deputy commander of the Gaza Division of Israel's military, told the Financial Times, which reported that the attacks shook faith in the country's intelligence services, that "this is a failure that is no smaller than the Yom Kippur War." Yaakov Amidror, a former National Security Advisor to Netanyahu, said that the attack proves "the [intelligence] abilities in Gaza were no good". An unnamed Egyptian intelligence official told the Associated Press that "[Egypt] warned them an explosion of the situation is coming, and very soon, and it would be big. But they underestimated such warnings." This story was corroborated by Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee.

Sources in Hamas and Israel's military establishment told Reuters that the attack was the culmination of a years-long campaign by Hamas to deceive Israel into thinking that the group was primarily interested in economic and governance issues instead of fighting. An IDF colonel anonymously told Middle East Eye that intelligence units had detected Hamas training activities but misjudged their intent; they assessed these would be used in a series of separate attacks, rather than a large combined one.

Effect on the Netanyahu government

Amit Segal, chief political commentator for Israel's Channel 12, said that the conflict would test Benjamin Netanyahu's survival as Prime Minister, noting that past wars had toppled the governments of several of his predecessors such as that of Golda Meir following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Menachem Begin following the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and Ehud Olmert following the 2006 Lebanon War. Prior to the formation of an emergency unity government on 11 October, Politico described the then-potential move as Netanyahu's opportunity to correct his course and save his political legacy.

Effect on Israeli–Saudi Arabian normalization

In an analysis by The Times of Israel, the newspaper wrote that "Hamas has violently shifted the world's eyes back to the Palestinians and dealt a severe blow to the momentum for securing a landmark US-brokered deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia." The New York Times reported that the prospects of Israeli and Saudi normalization appeared dimmer, citing Saudi Arabia's statement that the country had repeatedly warned "of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continued occupation, the deprivation of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights and the repetition of systemic provocations against its sanctities."

Andreas Kluth wrote in his Bloomberg News column that Hamas "torched Biden's deal to remake the Middle East", arguing that the deal that was being discussed between Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States would have left Palestinians in the cold, so the group decided to "blow the whole thing up." He added that, viewed from Gaza, things were only going to get worse, considering that Netanyahu's coalition partners opposed a two-state solution for the conflict, and that they would prefer to annex the entirety of the West Bank, even at the expense of turning Israel into an apartheid state, something critics have long claimed as Israel's goal.

Speculation arose that Iran was trying to sabotage relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, with former head of research for Shin Bet Neomi Neumann saying the attack could have been timed in part due to Iran's hopes to scuttle efforts to normalize relations between Israel and its Sunni rival. On 9 October, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani denied claims of Tehran's involvement in Hamas's attack.

Possible spread

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, speculated the war would spread to Jerusalem and the West Bank. Hashim Safi Al Din, Head of Hezbollah's Executive Council, echoed these sentiments. Max Abrahms, a political scientist at Northeastern University, opined that the conflict could escalate into a war between Israel and Iran.

Effect on the Russo-Ukrainian War

See also: Russia and the Iran–Israel proxy conflict, Israel–Russia relations, and Israel–Ukraine relations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the war between Israel and Hamas could divert attention from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the war "a clear example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East," adding that Washington had consistently failed to take into account the fundamental interests of Palestinians. Russian commentators close to the Kremlin characterized the war as a military and intelligence failure of the West, predicting it would sap Western support for Ukraine. The New York Times stated that Russian relations with Israel were deteriorating, driven in part by Western support for Ukraine and Iran's continued support for Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Ukrainian military intelligence accused Russia of transferring Western-made weapons captured in Ukraine to Hamas in order to blame Ukraine for selling them.

See also

• Timeline of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in 2023
• Outline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
• List of wars involving Israel
• Abraham Accords

External links

• Escalation in the Gaza Strip and Israel | OCHA Flash Update #1 as of 18:00, 7 October 2023
• OCHA Escalation in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #2
• OCHA Escalation in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #3
• Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #4
• UNRWA Gaza Situation Report #4