Hamas, which governs Gaza, in a 16-page report titled “Our Narrative” said it wanted to “clarify” the background and dynamics of the surprise attack it calls Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Hamas said it was “a necessary step and a normal response to confront all Israeli conspiracies against the Palestinian people”.
Although Israeli authorities had accused Hamas fighters of committing war crimes during the attack, including torture, rape and mutilation, the latter denied all such allegations. Let us have a key look at the major events or developments that followed since the attack:
Oct 7, 2023:
Hamas’s Surprise Attack On Israel: Palestinian group Hamas launches an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel that kills approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. As per official reports, as many as 200 plus people are also taken hostage. The attack is the deadliest in Israel’s history, says Israeli Government.
Oct 13, 2023:
Israel Begins Bombing:Responding to the sudden attack, Israel begins bombing Gaza asking civilians in northern Gaza to move down south. On November 15, Gaza's biggest hospital, Al-Shifa, where Israel said Hamas had a command centre, was raided.
October 29, 2023:
Airstrike Near Al-Qud Hospital:An airstrike launched by the West-Bank-based militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad struck 20 meters (65 feet) from al-Quds hospital. Several doctors reported that they were treating people with severe phosphorus burns
October 30, 2023:
Syria-Israel Tensions:Israeli army confirms carrying out strikes in Syria after two rockets fired from Syria fell into territory under Israel's control. Israel also said that it considers the annexed Golan Heights to be part of its northern region. In November, Hamas released 80 Israeli hostages in return for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. As many as 25 other hostages, mainly Thai farm workers, are also set free.
March 2024:
Multiple Countries Airdrop Aid Into Gaza: As the war continues, people cry for aid- basic amenities to live. Death toll keeps hiking while people wander for food and essentials. Meanwhile, thefirst aid ship from Cyprus arrives on March 15. On April 1, seven aid workers from the US charity World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli strike. The military terms it a "tragic mistake".
On April 13:
Israel-Iran Tensions Escalate:Iran attacks Israel with drones and missiles responding to the deadly strike on its consulate in Damascus.
July 20, 2024
Israel Attacks Yemen: On 20 July 2024, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an attack on Hudaydah Port in Al Hudaydah, Yemen. The operation marks the first time Israel directly attacked Yemen. A power generating station, an oil refinery, fuel storage facilities belonging to the Yemen Petroleum Corporation (YPC), and multiple port cranes were damaged. Reports of daily exchanges of fire between the Israeli army and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah intensify on the Israel-Lebanon border.
July 31, 2024:
Hezbollah Top Commander Fuad Shukr Killed: Lebanese group Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli attack in southern Beirut. Defending the strike, the Israeli military said it carried out a “precision strike” to kill Shukr, because he had earlier launched a missile strike that killed 12 children playing football in Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights. Shukr, also known as al-Hajj Mohsen, was born in Nabatieh in Baalbek in eastern Lebanon. He was among Hezbollah’s founders after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh is killed in a strike in Iran. Hamas announces Yahya Sinwar, its leader in Gaza, to replace him.
September 17-18, 2024
Lebanon pager explosions:After numerous pagers and communication devices used by the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon exploded on September 17 and 18, injuring nearly 3,000 people, including civilians, and killing 39, tensions between the two nations significantly increased. These pagers fueled the fires of warfare between Israel and Lebanon, which was purportedly started by Israel in a well-planned operation against Hezbollah militants. Since Hamas's strike on October 7 of last year, Hezbollah, which backs Hamas and the Palestinian cause in Israel, has engaged Israeli soldiers in border conflicts.
October 1, 2024:
Iran's Declaration:Iran declared that it was retaliating for a wave of mass destruction that Israel had been carrying out for the past few weeks against Hezbollah, a militant organisation and Shiite Muslim political party with roots in Lebanon that Iran supports. Iran launched missiles toward Israel on Tuesday, October 1.
Iran further stated that the bombings were in retaliation for Israel's massive assaults on Hezbollah, the devastation in Gaza, and the killings of important figures in Hamas and Hezbollah, such as Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas.
