A snapshot of the past year in the Middle East: Israel-Hamas war

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It's one year since Hamas launched a wide-scale attack on southern Israel, sparking a broader conflict in the Middle East.
The Israel-Hamas war began a year ago, sparking a broader conflict in the Middle East

One year ago, Hamas launched a widescale attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, marking one of the deadliest strike that has spread through the Middle East.

Immediately following the attack, Israel declared war on Hamas and began striking Gaza, which the group controls. In the year that has followed, more than 41,600 Palestinians have been killed and a humanitarian crisis has ensued.

Today, the war between Israel and Hamas continues, as does the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and its proxies, Hezbollah and the Houthis, in the Middle East.

Here is a snapshot of the past year.

The Middle East

October 7

On October 7 2023, Hamas launched a coordinated, widescale attack on Israel.

Hamas, which Australia classifies as a terrorist organisation, fired thousands of rockets into Israel and then entered the country by air, land and sea.

Once inside Israel, they advanced on communities and cities close to the border.

The group also attacked a nearby music festival, Nova, which had been attended by thousands of mostly young people. There, they killed at least 365 music festivalgoers.

Hamas killed approximately 1,200 people in a single day. At least 251 people, including Israelis and foreign nationals, were captured and taken as hostages to Gaza on that day.

Hamas published self-recorded footage of its attack taken via body cameras.

Israeli authorities later provided evidence of widespread sexual violence perpetrated on Oct 7.

Wreckage left behind at the Nova music festival on October 7.

Gaza

Immediately following the October 7 attacks, Israel declared war on Hamas. At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “The enemy will pay an unprecedented price.”

Israel began conducting airstrikes almost immediately. Later that month, Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) mounted a ground invasion of Gaza.

Gaza is a narrow strip of land that Hamas controls. It is home to more than 2.1 million people, making it one of the most densely populated places in the world.

According to data cited by the United Nations, more than 41,600 Palestinian people have been killed in the past year.

Israel’s bombardment of buildings, and restricted access of aid through Gaza’s border crossings, has caused a significant humanitarian crisis. Most Gazans have been forced to flee their homes. The UN estimates 1.9 million people are now displaced in Gaza.

There has also been an outbreak of polio, a viral illness that can cause paralysis and particularly affects younger population groups.

Last month, the WHO conducted a vaccination program that saw roughly 560,000 children immunised against polio in Gaza.

Brief pause

Over the last year, there has been one, week-long pause in fighting in Gaza. This November pause happened following negotiations mediated by Qatar and involving the U.S. and Egypt.

During the pause, Hamas released around 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinians detained by Israel.

IDF and Hamas fighting resumed after the week-long truce. Since then, routine efforts to negotiate a ceasefire have continued, with Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. continuing to play central roles.

Hamas leadership

In July, Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated after a bomb was remotely detonated in Iran.

Haniyeh had been Hamas’ chief negotiator during talks in Egypt and Qatar. He was replaced as leader by Yahya Sinwar, who Israeli officials said was one of the “masterminds” behind the October 7 attacks.

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have taken steps towards issuing arrest warrants for Haniyeh and Sinwar for alleged war crimes.

Israeli leadership

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has repeatedly said the IDF’s goals are to dismantle Hamas and return the hostages. It’s estimated around 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza.

Netanyahu has faced criticism over his handling of the war. After six hostages were found dead in Gaza last month, major protests swept across the country calling for Israel to immediately negotiate a deal to release the remaining hostages.

ICC prosecutors also requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, for alleged war crimes.

Hezbollah

As the Israel-Hamas war rages on, a parallel conflict has intensified between Hezbollah and Israel on the northern Israeli border.

On October 8 last year, one day after Hamas’ attack on Israel, Hezbollah began firing rockets at northern Israel, displacing around 60,000 people in the north of the country. Since that time, cross-border attacks have continued.

Hezbollah, also listed as a terrorist organisation by Australia, is based in Lebanon but receives funding and training from Iran.

Last month, the Israeli government updated its war objectives to include “returning the residents of the north [of Israel] securely to their homes”.

Since then, cross-border aerial attacks have increased in frequency and scale.

A recent strike killed Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

These strikes have killed around 1,000 people in Lebanon and displaced one million other Lebanese people. Many countries, including Australia, have launched missions to get their citizens out of Lebanon.

Last week, the IDF launched a “targeted” raid into southern Lebanon, saying it was targeting Hezbollah militants and bases. It’s the first time the IDF has launched a formal operation there since 2006.

Iran

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran. Iran and Israel have had a hostile relationship for decades, although there have been few direct attacks between the two countries.

The Israel-Hamas war has set off underlying tensions in the Middle East.

Since the 1979 revolution which installed a conservative Muslim dictatorship, Iran has questioned the legitimacy of a Jewish state and called for its destruction.

Last week, Iran launched a wave of more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in its second direct attack this year.

Ceasefire calls

There have been sustained calls for a long-term ceasefire since the resumption of fighting last November, and a number of draft proposals have been floated and rejected.

Australia has joined more than 150 countries in urging a ceasefire, which was passed in a UN resolution last year.

The UN Security Council, the body tasked with the “maintenance of international peace and security”, adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in March.

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