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From Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023 to Gaza ceasefire: Timeline of events in a war that saw over 50,000 deaths

On 7th January 2025, US President-designate Donald Trump warned the terrorist group Hamas that they should release all the hostages they have been holding since the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel. Donald Trump warned that all hell will break out in the Middle East if the hostages are not released by the time he assumes office in a couple of weeks’ time.

In a respite from the war ongoing between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic terrorist group Hamas for 15 months, the two warring sides have reached an agreement to cease violence in Gaza and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. While the implementation of the ceasefire agreement is yet to unfold, the ceasefire agreement’s timing is crucial as it comes ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

As the warring sides agree upon ceasing hostilities in Gaza, here’s a timeline of events in a war initiated by the Palestinian Islamic terrorist outfit Hamas and escalated by Israeli Defence Forces in retaliation leading to nearly 50,000 deaths.

October 7 massacre

On the 7th of October 2023, the Palestinian terror group Hamas which controlled the Gaza Strip launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli civilians ravaging Kibbutz after Kibbutz killing innocent Jewish people, taking hostages, raping women and mutilating the slain. At least 5,000 rockets were launched into Israel from Gaza, and tunnels were used to breach the Israeli territory and butcher Israeli civilians, particularly in the border villages. A music festival hosting more than 200 people was turned into a slaughter ground with many women raped, mutilated and abducted to Gaza. Shani Louk, a 22-year-old German-Israeli woman, who was abducted to the Gaza Strip and paraded naked during Hamas’s 7th October terror attack. OpIndia later reported how Islamists tried to whitewash Hamas’s atrocities on the innocent German-Israeli woman based on her mother’s hope of her daughter being alive.

At least 1,300 people, including some foreign nationals, babies, women and senior citizens, were killed in the attacks. More than 200 were abducted and taken to Gaza. Following the attack, Israel launched a counterattack to eliminate Hamas as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “mighty vengeance” against the Palestinian jihadist outfit.

Meanwhile, Israel launched its Operation Iron Sword against Hamas. Israeli air raids pounded Gaza over the course of the night and killed more than 400 Palestinian terrorists as well as destroyed structures, tunnels and the homes of senior Hamas figures.

October 8: Day 2

On the second day of the war, Lebanon’s Islamic terror outfit Hezbollah came in to support its violent Islamic brethren Hamas and launch strikes on Israeli targets further adding to the escalating hostilities.

October 9: Day 3

On the third day, Israel continued its air bombarding on Hamas targets in Gaza.

October 13: Day 7

Israel advised nearly one million residents of Gaza city to move South of a stream named Wadi Gaza as Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) launched an operation to target and eliminate Hamas terrorists and their hideouts in Gaza. Following this, Gazan civilians began deserting the city.

IDF announces 4 hour evacuation corridor for Gazans
Wadi Gaza is the only coastal westland in the Gaza Strip (Source: War Mapper/X)

October 19: Day 13

A US Navy warship intercepted missiles and drones launched from Yemen towards Israel. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi terrorists continued attacks on Israel and against Red Sea shipping.

October 21st: Day 15

Aid trucks were permitted to access the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into Gaza, where food, water, medications, fuel and other essentials were running low. The humanitarian catastrophe would deepen in the coming months, with aid groups and Western countries demanding that Israel do more to allow aid in.

Image via: Economist

October 26th 2023

Prime Minister Netanyahu announced a “new phase” in the war, deploying ground forces into Gaza and expanding attacks. Israeli troops and tanks conducted a brief ground operation into northern Gaza overnight into 26 October. They destroyed multiple terrorist targets with the aim of “preparing the battlefield” for a widely anticipated full-scale ground assault. On 27th October,

October 31st 2023

Israel launched airstrikes near the Jabalia refugee camp and killed a Hamas commander Ibrahim Biari who led the October 7 massacre. However, some reports claimed that nearly two dozen civilians also lost their lives in the airstrikes.

November 21st 2023: Temporary ceasefire

Israel and Hamas reached an agreement for a seven-day truce on the 21st of November 2023. This truce enabled the exchange of hostages and prisoners: Israel released 240 Palestinian women and minors in exchange for the release of several hostages kidnapped during the initial onslaught. The Israel Defence Forces confirmed the release of over 14 hostages, including 10 Israelis and four Thai nationals, from Hamas captivity. However, the ceasefire broke on December 1st, and the violence resumed with an intensified fervour.

December 4 2023

The Israeli military launched their first major ground assault in southern Gaza, towards the main southern city, Khan Younis.

January 2024

Israeli forces signalled withdrawal from northern Gaza, eventually, however, they were involved in fighting Hamas terrorists in the same area.

South Africa filed a case in the United Nations International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, sparking an ironic juxtaposition. The case unfolded at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where South Africa demanded an emergency suspension of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, alleging genocidal acts.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed South Africa over its genocide case and said: “We are fighting terrorists, and we are fighting lies. Today, again, we saw an upside-down world in which the State of Israel is accused of genocide at a time when it is fighting genocide. Israel is fighting against murderous terrorists who committed horrific crimes against humanity: they slaughtered, they raped, they burned, they dismembered, they beheaded–children, women, the elderly, young men and young women.”

On 26th January 2024, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to do more to prevent the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The ruling pertained to the nine provisional measures sought by South Africa in its genocide case against Israel. Additionally, the court mandated Israel to permit the provision of essential services and humanitarian aid for the Palestinian population in Gaza.

February 2024: Biden vents out frustration against Netanyahu

On 8th February 2024, then US President Joe Biden called Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza as “over the top”. Just days later, Biden said that he is trying to get Israel to agree to a cease-fire, but Netanyahu is “giving him hell”. In private conversations, some of them with campaign donors, Biden expressed frustration over his inability to persuade Israel to change its military tactics in the Gaza Strip. During a private conversation, Biden reportedly called Netanyahu an ‘as***ole’.

April 2024: Israel strikes Iranian embassy in Syria, Iran seeks revenge

On 1st April 2024, suspected Israeli warplanes bombed a building adjacent to the embassy of Iran in Syria, leaving seven of Iran’s military advisers, including three senior commanders dead. Mohammed Reza Zahedi, a top commander in the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), was reportedly killed in the Israeli airstrike in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Following this, Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei proclaimed that “Israel will be punished” for its attack.

On 13th April, Iran launched an offensive on targets around Israel in which the nation fired a barrage of over 300 unmanned drones and missiles. Iran also hinted at reviewing its nuclear doctrine. Days after, Israel launched missile strikes against Tehran.

A cargo ship with ties to Israel was apprehended by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on 13th April near the Strait of Hormuz. 17 Indians were also onboard the seizes ship. Zodiac Maritime’s affiliate Gortal Shipping has leased the Aries to multinational shipping company MSC, which is in charge of all vessel operations. Eyal Ofer, an Israeli businessman, owns a portion of Zodiac.

May 2024: From ceasefire to “full operational control”

On 6th May, Hamas claimed to have agreed to a ceasefire proposal, however, Israel denied having agreed to the proposal’s terms.

On 7th May, Israeli Defence Forces took control of Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, pushing into the southern Gazan town. Back then, the IDF said that between 5,000 and 8,000 Hamas terrorists stayed in the southern city, which it deems the Palestinian Islamist terrorist group Hamas’s last stronghold. The military operation came as Israel found that Hamas has four battalions in Rafah and that many senior Hamas terrorists could be hiding there.

The disagreements between Netanyahu and Biden over Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza resurfaced as President Biden said that US would not provide Israel with offensive weapons for its operation in Rafah. However, PM Netanyahu remained undeterred in his resolve to eliminate Hamas terrorists in Rafah as he said “If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.”

On 11th May, Israel ordered evacuation of Rafah as it prepared to expand its operation in Gaza’s southern city. Later in the month, Israel brought the entire Gaza-Egypt border under its “full operational control” and located 20 tunnels leading into the Egyptian Sinai.

Moreover, the Israeli Knesset plenum approved a preliminary reading of legislation designating the UN Relief and Works Agency as a “terror organisation”. UNRWA has been under fire, with Israeli officials demanding the agency be stripped of its authority in Gaza and defunded amid revelations that members of the agency’s staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attacks.

June 2024: Heavy fighting slows down but Israel’s war on Islamic terrorism goes on

On 23rd June, PM Netanyahu said that the intense phase of the war had come to an end, however, IDF’s fight against Hamas would continue till the Palestinian jihadist outfit controls Palestine.

July 2024: Israel goes into full-on revenge mode

On 2nd July, Israel ordered fresh evacuation in Khan Younis and Rafah as IDF continued its operation against Hamas terrorists. On 27th July, around 12 people including children were killed in a rocket strike by Hezbollah in the town of Majdal Shams in Golan Heights. The attack was carried out from Lebanon. Although Hezbollah initially took responsibility for killing 12 victims, it later retracted its statement and claimed that it had ‘nothing’ to do with the incident.

On 30th July, Israel avenged the horrific killing of 12 Israelis including children as it killed Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander responsible for carrying out rocket strike in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights area.

Just a day after, the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas confirmed in a statement that their chief Ismail Haniyeh had been assassinated in Iran’s Tehran. The group said that Haniyeh was killed in an Israel air strike on his house in Tehran.

August 2024: Israel kills Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif

On 1st August 2024, IDF announced that Hamas military wing commander Mohammed Deif had been killed in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip on July 13. The Israeli forces said that it obtained intelligence confirming his death in the past few hours. Deif was targeted in a strike at Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade commander Rafa’a Salameh’s compound in Khan Younis area on July 13. While Salameh’s death was confirmed, it took a longer time for the IDF to confirm Deif’s death.

On 7th August, the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas named its Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar as its new commander following the death of his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh. Sinwar was the mastermind of the October 7 massacre. Right after his appointment as Hamas’s new commander, the terror outfit’s jihadis launched missiles against Israel.

On the intervening night of August 28th and 29th, Israeli forces killed five Palestinian terrorists who were hiding in a mosque in the West Bank city of Tulkarem. Meanwhile, Israel agreed to a humanitarian pause for the United Nations organisations to hold polio vaccination drives in Gaza.

September 2024: Israel carries out sophisticated pager attack targeting thousands of Hezbollah terrorists, Hassan Nasrallah hunted down and killed

On the 17th of September 2024, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad carried out one of its most effective anti-terrorist operations against the Islamic terrorist outfit Hezbollah in Lebanon. The sophisticated attack left thousands of Hezbollah terrorists injured and over 30 dead. The attack was the culmination of Mossad’s long-term operation which included setting up a legitimate company in Hungary to supply communication devices to Hezbollah. Several videos showed Hezbollah operatives on the floor with severe injuries around their waist and groin area, pointing to the fact that the pagers exploded in their pockets.

On the 28th of September, in continuance of its operation to eliminate key Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, Israel killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. A day after Israel Defence Forces bombed Hezbollah’s main headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, Israel officially confirmed that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah died in the operation. Confirming Nasrallah’s death, the IDF posted on X, “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world.”

The slain Hezbollah terrorist’s dead body was recovered in his bunker in Beirut where he was killed while hiding.

On 29th September, Israel conducted airstrikes targeting Hodeidah port in Yemen in which various assets including fuel tanks were hit. The port is controlled by Houthi Ansarallah movement, which has control over a significant portion of Yemen. Reports said that two power plants were also hit in the strikes.

October 2024: Israel continues operation in northern Gaza, ends Yahya Sinwar’s short reign as Hamas commander

On 3rd October 2024, the Israeli military confirmed that it had eliminated another Hamas leader identified as Rawhi Mushtaha, the head of the Hamas administration in Gaza. The country also stated that two more security officers Sameh al-Siraj and Sami Oudeh along with Mushtaha were eliminated during airstrikes three months ago.

On 5th October, IDF launched an anti-Hamas operation in northern Gaza focusing on the Jabalia refugee camp near Gaza City and Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya towns.

On 2nd October 2024, Israel declared UN chief Antonio Guterres “persona non grata”, banning him from entering the country. The decision was taken by the Israeli foreign ministry for failing to unequivocally condemn Iran’s missile attack on Israel a day before. Days later, Guterres rose from his selective slumber and decided to condemn the atrocities committed by Hamas Jihadis on Israelis. On 7th October 2024, as the October 7 massacre completed one year, Guterres said that it is a day for the global community to condemn the “abhorrent acts of Hamas.”

On the 16th of October, Israeli forces killed the newly-appointed Hamas commander Yahya al-Sinwar during its anti-Hamas operation in Gaza. A day after, Israel confirmed that Hamas chief Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar has been killed in a military operation in Gaza. “The arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar, who is responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7, was eliminated today by IDF soldiers,” Israel foreign minister Israel Katz said.

November 2024

On 21st November, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu former defence chief Yoav Gallant and Hamas’ Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

On 27th November, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon. Meanwhile, ISIS jihadis launched an offensive in Syria which culminated in the fall of Hezbollah ally Bashar-al-Asad’s long reign in the country.

December 2024: Trump warns of ‘hell to pay’, calls for hostage release before his inauguration

On 2nd December, US President-elect Donald Trump said there will be “hell to pay” in the Middle East if hostages in Gaza are not freed before his swearing-in ceremony on 20th January. Trump reiterated his stand regarding hostages in Gaza on 16th December.

January 2025: Trump’s “All hell will break out” warning to Israel-Hamas ceasefire

On 7th January 2025, US President-designate Donald Trump warned the terrorist group Hamas that they should release all the hostages they have been holding since the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel. Donald Trump warned that all hell will break out in the Middle East if the hostages are not released by the time he assumes office in a couple of weeks’ time.

On 15th January 2025, negotiating parties reached an agreement for a cease-fire in the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas, after 15 months of violence that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused unprecedented damage in West Asia since Hamas launched its onslaught against Israel on October 7, 2023.

The ceasefire agreement came with the efforts of the United States, Qatar and Egypt. The agreement, which is set to go into effect from Sunday (19th January), calls for a six-week initial truce and the gradual departure of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands of people have died. Hostages abducted by Hamas, the terrorist group that rules the enclave, would be released in return for Palestinian captives held by Israel. Besides, Israel will allow displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza. On the 16th day of the ceasefire’s implementation, the release of remaining Israeli hostages is expected to be initiated, meanwhile, Israeli forces will retreat to a defensive belt.

Ceasefire agreement

The final stage of the agreement involves rebuilding Gaza City under the supervision of Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations while Israel will be expected to completely withdraw from Gaza.

Israel’s ratification of the agreement will not become official until it is authorised by the country’s security cabinet and government, with a vote scheduled for Thursday. However, a fresh dispute has emerged after Prime Minister Netanyahu accused Hamas of making last-minute demands and breaking agreements. However, Hamas denied any backtracking.

Whether the ceasefire agreement plays out as decided by the negotiators or not remains to be seen, it has come as a ray of hope for the 15 month conflict to finally come to an end even though it remains highly unlikely that Israel would step back from its resolve to completely annihilate Hamas. The world would look forward to seeing if Hamas despite its weakened position after most of its top leadership was eliminated by Israel continues to hold power in Gaza or if a new non-violent political leadership emerges.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 46,000 of its people have been killed in the war. However, some reports, such as Lancet, have claimed that the deaths might be in the 64,000 range just from traumatic injuries in the war, excluding indirect deaths like lack of healthcare and food.

Lebanon’s official casualty figure is at 3000. Official sources from the Israeli government say that over 1700 Israelis have been killed, both civilian and soldiers.

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