Israel marks two years since 7-O with Gaza war nearing its end

1. Chronology of the conflict

Amidst the music and joy of a festival celebrating life, Israel experienced the beginning of one of the darkest chapters in its recent history.

On 7 October, Hamas terrorists managed to cross the border between the Gaza Strip and communities in the south of the country, ending the calm and marking a turning point for Israel and the Palestinians.

That day, more than 1,200 people were killed in the most cruel ways imaginable. Beheadings, mutilations and rapes were the methods used by members of the terrorist group to sow chaos that, two years later and after the deaths of more than 67,000 Palestinians, 169,000 wounded and more than 2.3 million displaced, seems to be coming to an end.

Since then, the Israeli government has set out to put an end to the terrorist group Hamas as a result of the attacks. No sooner said than done. Although the operations of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have been heavily criticised, Israel has managed to kill more than twenty leaders of the organisation, completely dismantling the organisation's leadership.

However, the military operations described as ‘precision strikes’ that have claimed the lives of more than 67,000 Palestinians have been harshly criticised by the UN, which recently described them as genocide, and by the international community. They were tried by the International Criminal Court as war crimes, leading to calls for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes. This was a highly controversial decision, as it equated the status of the Israeli leader with that of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During the more than 800 days that have passed since 7 October, several events have triggered tension between Israel and the ‘seven open fronts’ – according to Netanyahu – against militias financed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Chronology of the conflict

With the funerals of the victims still fresh in people's minds and the shock of an entire population taking refuge every night in bunkers and underground stations, Israel began, 48 hours after the attacks, to close and completely blockade the Gaza Strip.

The Jewish state closed the border to all types of supplies, regardless of the consequences this might have on the Palestinian population. The intensification of the humanitarian crisis had only just begun.

Israel sends 100,000 soldiers to the Gaza Strip

Less than a week after 7 October, the IDF ordered the evacuation to the entire population of Gaza City, approximately one million people, to evacuate. The chaos caused by the lack of supplies and electricity left thousands of Palestinians trapped in the war zone. As a result, an attack on one of the areas designated for the evacuation of Gaza's citizens led to the deaths of 70 people.

The attacks continued. By land and air, Israel was gradually destroying all of Hamas' infrastructure in the Strip. One of the IDF's main strikes was the attack on Al-Ahli Hospital, which caused hundreds of deaths. This operation was not without controversy. Tel Aviv claimed that it was a warehouse for Hamas military equipment.

After 20 days of conflict, the Netanyahu government launched its first major military offensive on the ground with the incursion of more than 100,000 soldiers. Urban battles continued for more than a month, leaving more than 7,000 dead in the first two weeks.

First ceasefire

With the Arab world in turmoil and more and more countries calling on the United Nations to end the conflict, the first ceasefire was approved on 22 November in Qatar, which in turn allowed for the exchange of 102 Israeli hostages for 150 Palestinian prisoners. During the truce, the first supplies entered the Gaza Strip, where Israel allowed 200 trucks of humanitarian aid to pass through.

Eight days later, the agreement was violated by both sides, which led to mistrust between the two sides and increased the cruelty of the conflict.

While Israeli attacks and threats from other terrorist groups, proxies of Iran, against Israel continued, it was not until February 2024 that Israel carried out one of the most controversial attacks on the Strip. While hundreds of Palestinians were receiving humanitarian aid, the IDF opened fire, killing more than 100 people. This operation prompted a reaction from the United Nations, which described the offensive as a ‘deliberate attack’.​​​

The beginning of international isolation

The distance between Israel and its allies was growing. For the West, the harshness exercised by Israel against the Gaza Strip was considered excessive, but it was not until April 2024, when an Israeli attack killed seven workers from the World Central Kitchen, that the distance between its main partner, the United States, strained relations. At that time, Joe Biden was the president of the United States, who described this attack as an ‘unacceptable mistake’.

A few months later, the IDF launched an operation to rescue four hostages who were being held in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The mission was successful, but resulted in the deaths of more than 274 Palestinians.

One year into the conflict, Israel struck its first major blow against the Hamas leadership. The assassination of Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas, in Rafah marked the first step towards Israel's victory. The death of Sinwar, broadcast via drone camera, was described by Netanyahu as a ‘victory against terrorism’.

At that moment, Israel sent a message to the world. ‘We will find all those responsible for the 7-O attacks.’

Second ceasefire

With the start of the new year, in January 2025, a second truce was agreed between Gaza and Israel. This second ceasefire, agreed this time with Egypt and Qatar, allowed for the exchange of more Israeli hostages and tens of thousands of Palestinian prisoners. However, mistrust and tensions brought an end to the ceasefire. Unlike the first, this one lasted for three months, which was a relief for the Palestinian population, as it allowed humanitarian aid to enter, albeit in dribs and drabs.​

Over the following months, the humanitarian crisis was the leading cause of death in the Strip. With more than 20,000 children in a state of malnutrition, pressure on Israel and international isolation began to mount. Along with the Arab countries, many European nations began to question the practices carried out by Israel.​

The demand for recognition of a Palestinian state by more than 134 countries led the United States, already under the mandate of Donald Trump, to draw up a peace plan, negotiated first with the Arab countries and then with Israel. The agreement, which is still under discussion and which Hamas appears to be approving, could mark the end of one of the conflicts that has most strained stability, not only in the Middle East, but globally.