Israel-Hamas conflict: Two years of violence, strikes, and ceasefires

Since the war broke out after Hamas attacked Israel, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,000 Palestinians and left the majority of 2.2 million homeless and hungry

The Israel-Hamas war completed its two years on Tuesday. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. Militants killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in what became one of the deadliest days for Jews since the Holocaust during World War II.

 

Since the outbreak of the war, Israel’s military operations have killed at least 67,000 Palestinians and left the majority of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents homeless and hungry, in a region constantly disrupted by bombardments.

 

Israel’s large-scale military campaign has drawn condemnation from several world leaders and the United Nations. On the two-year mark, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for the “immediate and unconditional release of hostages and an end to the suffering”.

 

Guterres urged, “Put an end to the hostilities in Gaza, Israel, and the region now. Stop making civilians pay with their lives and their futures. After two years of trauma, we must choose hope. Now.” 

 

After multiple rounds of failed peace talks, Israel and Hamas resumed indirect discussions on Monday in Egypt, led by a US delegation. Talks are set to continue on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump has actively pushed to resolve the conflict and has proposed a 20-point Gaza peace plan, which has been praised by several world leaders.

 

Here’s a timeline of the key developments in the war so far:

2023

• Oct 7: Hamas gunmen storm into Israel from Gaza, killing and taking hostages. Israel begins airstrikes and imposes a total siege.
• Oct 13: Israel orders Gaza City residents to move south, displacing much of the Strip’s population.
• Oct 19: A US Navy warship intercepts missiles and drones from Yemen; Houthi attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping continue.
• Oct 27: Israel launches a ground offensive; troops later enter Al Shifa Hospital as northern Gaza hospitals shut down.
• Nov 21: Israel and Hamas agree to a seven-day truce; about half the hostages are freed.
• Dec 1: Fighting resumes as Israeli forces launch a major assault in southern Gaza near Khan Younis.

2024

• Jan 1: Israel signals partial withdrawal from northern Gaza but later resumes operations.
• Jan 26: The International Court of Justice orders Israel to prevent genocide.
• Feb 29: Over 100 Gazans are killed while queuing for aid as Israeli troops open fire.
• Apr 1: Suspected Israeli strike hits Iran’s embassy compound in Damascus; Tehran retaliates two weeks later.
• May 6: Hamas accepts a ceasefire proposal that Israel rejects; Israel seizes a buffer zone on the Gaza-Egypt border.
• Jul 27: A Hezbollah rocket kills 12 youths in the Golan Heights; Israel vows retaliation.
• Aug 1: Israel says it killed Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif in a July 13 airstrike that killed 90; Hamas neither confirms nor denies.
• Sept 17: Israel detonates Hezbollah’s pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon, injuring hundreds.
• Sept 28: Israeli airstrike in Beirut kills Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
• Oct 16: Israel kills Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Rafah.
• Nov 21: ICC issues arrest warrants for Israeli PM Netanyahu, ex-defense chief Yoav Gallant, and Hamas’ Mohammed Deif.
• Nov 27: Israel and Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon.
• Dec 2: Trump warns of “hell to pay” if Gaza hostages are not freed before his Jan 20 inauguration.

2025

• Jan 15: Negotiators reach a Gaza ceasefire deal after 15 months of war, outlining phased hostage and prisoner exchanges.
• Jan 19: Hamas frees the first batch of hostages as the ceasefire takes effect.
• Feb 10: Hamas threatens to halt hostage releases amid mutual ceasefire violation claims.
• Mar 1: First ceasefire phase ends without progress; Israel cuts Gaza aid as pressure.
• Mar 18: Israel resumes airstrikes to free remaining hostages, killing hundreds.
• Sept 9: Israeli airstrike targets Hamas leadership in Doha, Qatar, during talks on a US-backed ceasefire plan.
• Oct 3: Trump gives Hamas a deadline to accept a peace deal, announces 20-point Gaza peace plan.
• Oct 6: Israeli and Hamas officials begin indirect peace talks in Egypt on the eve of the war’s second anniversary.