© Reuters. Palestinians seek for casualties on the web site of Israeli strikes on a home in Rafah within the southern Gaza Strip November 22, 2023. REUTERS/Bassam Masoud
2/2
(Reuters) -Hamas fighters launched a primary wave of 24 hostages together with Israeli ladies and youngsters and Thai farm staff underneath a truce deal that noticed weapons fall silent throughout the Gaza Strip for the primary time in seven weeks, with extra hostages set to freed.
The next is a timeline of the struggle between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist motion that controls the Gaza Strip.
Oct. 7: Hamas gunmen launch a shock assault on southern Israel, crossing over from Gaza and rampaging by cities. Israel says the gunmen kill 1,200 individuals, primarily civilians, and take greater than 240 hostages.
Hamas navy commander Mohammad Deif publicizes on Hamas media that the assault has began and urges Palestinians all over the place to struggle.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is “at war” and retaliatory air strikes towards Hamas-run Gaza start, together with a complete siege of the slender coastal enclave squeezed between Israel and Egypt.
Oct. 13: Israel tells residents of Gaza Metropolis, the place greater than 1 million of the enclave’s 2.3 million individuals stay, to evacuate and transfer south. Gaza stays closed and residents say they’ve nowhere to go after southern elements of the Strip are bombarded.
Oct. 17: An explosion at al-Ahli al-Arabi Baptist hospital in Gaza Metropolis causes heavy casualties and triggers outrage within the Arab world. Palestinians blame the blast on an Israeli air strike however Israel says it was brought on by a misfiring Palestinian rocket launch.
The well being ministry in Gaza says 471 individuals have been killed. Israel disputes this determine and an unclassified U.S. intelligence report estimates the demise toll “at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum”.
Oct. 18: U.S. President Joe Biden visits the Center East to indicate help for Israel and attempt to stop a wider regional battle. He ascribes the hospital blast to an errant rocket fired by Gaza militants. Arab leaders reply to the deaths on the hospital, which they blame on Israel, by cancelling a summit with Biden in Jordan.
Oct. 20: Hamas releases two American hostages – Judith Tai Raanan, 59, and her daughter Natalie, 17. The ladies have been taken from Nahal Oz kibbutz in southern Israel.
Oct. 21: Assist vans are allowed by the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into Gaza after days of diplomatic wrangling. It’s only a small fraction of what’s required in Gaza, the place meals, water, medicines and gasoline are working out.
Oct. 23: Hamas releases two extra hostages, aged Israelis Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, “on humanitarian and poor health grounds”. The 2 ladies have been kidnapped from Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel with their husbands, who’re nonetheless held by Hamas. As she is freed, Lifshitz shakes arms with one of many militants and says “shalom” (peace).
Oct. 26: Israeli forces perform their greatest raid into Gaza up to now, with tanks and infantry hitting infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts.
Oct. 27: Israel’s chief navy spokesperson says Israeli floor forces are increasing their operations inside Gaza, signalling the beginning of a floor offensive.
Oct. 28: Netanyahu says Israeli forces have begun the second section of the struggle and says Israel will “destroy the enemy above ground and below ground”. He tells Israelis to count on a “long and hard” navy marketing campaign.
Oct. 31: Israeli air strikes hit Gaza’s densely populated Jabalia refugee camp. Israel says it has killed a Hamas commander. Palestinian well being officers say the strike killed about 50 individuals and wounded 150.
Nov. 1: Evacuations from Gaza start by the Rafah crossing for an estimated 7,000 overseas passport holders, twin nationals and their dependents, and other people needing pressing medical therapy.
Nov. 6: U.N. Secretary Normal Antonio Guterres says Gaza is turning into a “graveyard for children”, and calls for a ceasefire. Palestinian well being authorities say the demise toll from Israeli strikes has exceeded 10,000.
Nov. 13: Israeli tanks advance on Gaza Metropolis’s Al Shifa hospital, with some 650 sufferers nonetheless inside. Israel says the hospital sits atop tunnels housing a headquarters for Hamas fighters utilizing sufferers as shields, which Hamas denies.
Nov. 15: Israeli particular forces enter Al Shifa Hospital and search the location, which covers greater than 20 acres, with sufferers nonetheless inside. They initially uncover solely a small assortment of weapons however within the following days discover the doorway to a concrete-walled tunnel and present footage of what they are saying is a 55-metre part, 10 metres underground.
Fees of struggle crimes are exchanged on each side, with Palestinians accusing Israel of focusing on civilians and Israel saying militant teams use civilians as human shields.
Nov. 21: Israel and Hamas announce settlement on a four-day pause in combating. Netanyahu’s workplace says 50 ladies and youngsters can be launched and that the pause can be prolonged by one other day for each extra 10 hostages launched.
Hamas says the 50 hostages can be launched in alternate for 150 Palestinian ladies and youngsters detainees in Israel, and that humanitarian, medical and gasoline assist can be allowed into Gaza.
Palestinian well being authorities say Israel’s bombardment has killed about 14,000 Gazans, roughly 40% of them kids.
Nov. 24: Hamas releases 24 hostages who’re handed over on the Rafah border crossing – 13 Israelis, plus 10 Thais and a Filipino. The Israeli hostages included 4 kids accompanied by 4 members of the family, and 5 different aged ladies. Thirty-nine Palestinian ladies and youngsters detainees are launched from Israeli jails as a part of the deal. Extra Israeli hostages are as a consequence of be freed on Nov. 25.
