Three months have passed since the devastating Hamas attack that sparked Israel’s war in Gaza, and the deadly fighting has sparked a terrible humanitarian crisis in the area.
The Israeli military began an offensive against the Palestinian enclave after Hamas militants launched a brutal attack on Israel on October 7, in which gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage, according to Israeli authorities. .
In the three months since the attack, more than 22,700 Gazans have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Here’s a look at some of the key moments of the conflict:
October 7: Hamas attack. Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7 marked 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 afterward, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “at war.”
October 9: Israel orders the “complete siege” of Gaza. Two days later, Netanyahu said the Israeli military would attack Hamas with force “like never before,” aiming to destroy the militant group.
October 13: A growing exodus. Israel’s military ordered 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate their homes immediately, as it stepped up its response. Since the conflict began, the UN estimates up to 1.9 million people have been displaced.
October 17: Hundreds dead in Gaza hospital. A deadly explosion leveled the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, which was housing thousands of displaced people. CNN found that the explosion was likely caused by a defective rocket fired by Palestinian militants and not by an Israeli attack.
October 27: Israel expands its ground offensive. After a war carried out largely from the air, the Israel Defense Forces announced that they were “expanding ground operations” in Gaza.
November 15: Raid on Al-Shifa hospital. Israel launched a “targeted” operation against Hamas inside Gaza’s largest hospital, where thousands of Palestinians were believed to be taking refuge. Conditions at the hospital deteriorated rapidly during the days of fighting. The raid sparked international criticism.
November 24: A truce begins. After days of careful negotiations, a truce between Israel and Hamas caused a pause in the fighting. As part of the truce, civilian hostages held captive by militants were released and groups of hostages are released every day.
December 1: The truce collapses. A week later, the Israeli army resumed fighting against Hamas in Gaza, accusing the group of violating the terms of the truce. Israel’s focus began to shift from the north to the south of Gaza.
December 15: Hostages killed in failed Raid. Israeli soldiers shot dead three Israeli hostages in northern Gaza after wrongly identifying 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 announces a partial withdrawal. On the first day of the new year, Israel announced that it would soon begin withdrawing thousands of troops from Gaza in preparation for a new phase of the conflict, although a senior official warned that he expected fighting to continue throughout the year.
