After months of conflict and tens of thousands of deaths, Israel and Hamas have agreed a ceasefire deal to end the war, officials have told Sky News.
In this story, Sky News looks back at what has happened since the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023.
The renewed conflict has raged for more than a year and has seen an escalation between Israel and Iran and a open conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
What follows is by no means an exhaustive timeline, but it aims to capture some of the more salient moments in the devastating conflict.
Follow live: A ceasefire agreement has been reached, Hamas official tells Sky News
Hamas attack and Israeli retaliation
Image: A destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence on 7 October. Pic: AP
On 7 October, Hamas gunmen launch an attack on southern Israel, rampaging through communities and killing 1,200 people.
Some 250 people are taken back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies, where they are held captive. The status of the hostages becomes a central issue of the renewed conflict.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declares that Israel is at war and orders airstrikes on Gaza, along with a total siege of the densely populated territory.
Image: Explosions in Gaza City as Israel strikes Hamas on 7 October
Israel ground offensive into Gaza
On 13 October, Israel tells residents of Gaza City, where more than a million people live, to evacuate and move south.
The same day, Israel Defence Force (IDF) troops move into the Gaza Strip in what is described as a raid.
An explosion at the al Ahli hospital in Gaza City on 17 October triggers outrage in the Arab world, but there is disagreement and confusion about who is behind it.
Later the same month Israel launches its large-scale ground assault on Gaza, marking the beginning of its invasion of the territory.
Al Shifa hospital
Image: Palestinians inspect damage in the area around the al Shifa hospital. Pic: Reuters
On 15 November, Israeli troops enter Gaza’s biggest hospital, al Shifa, in Gaza City, after a siege lasting several days during which medical staff say patients including newborn babies died from a lack of power and supplies.
The IDF says the hospital has been used to conceal an underground Hamas HQ, a claim that hospital staff deny.
Within a few more weeks, all hospitals serving the northern half of Gaza cease functioning.
November ceasefire
After weeks of fighting, Israel and Hamas announce the first truce of the war. They agree to pause fighting for four days to exchange women and child hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian women and teenagers detained or jailed by Israel on security grounds, and allow in more aid.
The ceasefire would eventually be extended for a week in total and lead to the freeing of 105 hostages and about 240 Palestinian detainees.
War resumes on 1 December. Days later, Israeli forces launch their first big ground assault on southern Gaza, on the outskirts of the city of Khan Younis.
On 6 December, 22 members of the same family are killed in an Israeli airstrike at the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
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Moment US vetoes ceasefire resolution
Two days later, the US vetoes a UN Security Council demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. The UK abstains.
On 15 December, three Israeli hostages are killed by IDF troops who mistakenly open fire on them.
Two of them are killed in an initial volley of gunfire, while the third dies 15 minutes later after being urged to come out by the IDF and is then fired upon.
US and Britain launch airstrikes on Yemen
Image: US launches planes in airstrike operation over Yemen, targeting Houthi bases. Pic: US Central Command
Continued attacks on Red Sea shipping by Houthi rebels during this time cause major concerns for international trade.
On 11 January 2024, the US and UK launch dozens of airstrikes across Yemen in retaliation.
The Houthis say five of their fighters have been killed in the initial strikes, and vow to continue their attacks on shipping.
On the same day, the International Court of Justice hear opening statements in a case in which South Africa accuse Israel of committing a state-led genocide campaign against the Palestinian population. Israel denies the accusation.
Death toll surpasses 30,000
On 22 January, 21 IDF soldiers are killed in central Gaza in a single incident – the deadliest day for Israel’s forces since the war began.
At the end of February, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says the number of deaths in the territory since 7 October has risen above 30,000.
It says most of those killed are women and children and warns that the real figure is likely to be higher.
At this time there is widespread international concern about Israel’s plan to launch a military offensive into the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering.
The UN warns that a famine is imminent in northern Gaza and says 1.1m people are starving.
On 1 April, seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen are killed in an Israeli military strike in Gaza. Three British nationals are among the dead.
An Israeli investigation finds that incorrect assumptions, decision-making mistakes and violations of the rules of engagement had resulted in their deaths.
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Iran and Israel trade salvos
Escalating tensions between Israel and Iran boil over in April.
Tehran alleges that an Israeli strike on its embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, has killed several Iranian officers including a top general.
In retaliation it launches a barrage of dozens of missiles and drones at Israel on 13 April. The vast majority are intercepted.
Amid international concern about a regional crisis, Israel responds by striking a number of targets in Iran.
Tehran plays down the impact of the attack near a major military airbase and a nuclear site in the central city of Isfahan, but satellite photos suggest an air defence radar was hit.
Also in April, tens of thousands of people take part in anti-government protests in Israel, urging Mr Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire deal for the release of hostages. It follows months of other demonstrations against the government.
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‘My brother was kidnapped’
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‘Everything is destroyed’
May: Negotiations in Cairo fail to produce ceasefire
Talks in the Egyptian capital aimed at getting Israel and Hamas to agree terms for a ceasefire come under the spotlight in early May.
Hopes of a breakthrough when Hamas announce it has accepted a ceasefire proposed by Egypt and Qatar are dashed after an Israeli official called it a “ruse”.
People on the streets of Rafah celebrate after Hamas’s announcement, but hours later the Israeli military says it is conducting strikes in the city.
Outcry after strike on Rafah kills 45
There is international outrage after an Israeli airstrike on Rafah kills 45 people in late May.
According to Palestinian medics, the strike hits tents for displaced people and Hamas-run authorities in Gaza say “most” of the dead are women and children.
Mr Netanyahu says it was a “tragic mistake”, while the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees says the city has become “hell on earth” following the deadly strike there.
Hostage rescue amid heavy death toll
In early June, four hostages are rescued in an Israeli raid in Gaza.
Hailed as “heroic” in Israel, the military says it freed the hostages under heavy fire and responded with strikes “from the air and from the street”.
But the ensuing attack on central Gaza’s al Nuseirat, a historic Palestinian refugee camp, led to scenes like a “horror movie”, according to residents.
Court ruling on Israel settlement policy
On 19 July, the International Court of Justice rules that Israel’s settlement policy in occupied Palestinian territories is in breach of international law.
The “transfer by Israel of settlers to the West Bank and Jerusalem as well as Israel’s maintenance of their presence” is “contrary to article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention”, a panel of 15 judges from around the world say.
The court says Israel must end the construction of settlements immediately – acts which render “Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful”.
Netanyahu visits US
Image: Kamala Harris meets with Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington DC. Pic: Reuters
Mr Netanyahu embarks on a controversial visit to the US in late July and pledges in a scathing speech to Congress to achieve “total victory” against Hamas.
But Kamala Harris says she will “not be silent” over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza following a meeting with the Israeli PM.
Ms Harris says Israel has a right to defend itself, but pointedly adds: “How it does so matters.”
Escalating tensions with Hezbollah
A couple of days later, Mr Netanyahu vows heavy retaliation after a strike in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights kills 12 children.
He blames the Hezbollah group for the rocket, which struck a football field in Majdal Shams. Hezbollah denies having any role in the attack.
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Brits urged to leave Lebanon
Following this, the IDF carries out what it says is a retaliatory strike on Beirut and kills Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander who Israel says was responsible for the Majdal Shams attack.
Hamas leader killed
In a seismic event, Hamas’s top political leader Ismail Haniyeh is killed in an apparent assassination in Iran at the end of July.
Hamas later says Haniyeh died in an airstrike and blames Israel, which had vowed to kill Haniyeh and other leaders of Hamas following the 7 October attacks.
Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind those attacks, is named the new leader of Hamas days later.
Image: Ismail Haniyeh’s death was a significant moment in the conflict. Pic: Reuters
Fallout from assassinations
On 10 August, dozens of people are killed in an Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City, according to officials in Gaza’s Hamas-run government.
The Israeli army says it struck a “Hamas control centre” but does not provide evidence and Hamas denies having a base at the school.
As August continues, the region waits with baited breath to see how and if Iran and Hezbollah will respond to the recent assassinations – or if a ceasefire can be agreed.
Fresh ceasefire talks
Peace talks resume in Qatar, as Iran says it “will only hold back if [a] ceasefire [is] agreed”.
President Biden says he is “optimistic” about a deal, but this is rejected by Hamas which says there have been “no improvements”.
No deal is agreed and the conflict continues.
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Fire exchange with Hezbollah
In late August, Israel carries out what it says were “pre-emptive” airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israeli military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, says the group were “starting to get ready to attack us”.
Hezbollah fires drones and rockets in what is says was a response to the killing of Fuad Shukr the previous month.
In Gaza, a tentative agreement for a series of brief ceasefires so that the polio vaccine can be distributed is agreed.
Exploding pagers
On 17 September, the unprecedented mass explosion of handheld pagers used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon kills 12 people and injures nearly 3,000, sending shockwaves through the region.
Less than 24 hours later, a similar series of explosions hits two-way radios used by the group.
Image: The remains of what is said to be one of the exploding pagers
Israel is widely believed to be behind the attacks, which if true would be a huge intelligence victory and suggestive of deep infiltration of Hezbollah’s supply chain.
Hezbollah’s leader accuses Israel of carrying out “massacres” with the pager and walkie-talkie explosions, saying it wanted to kill “5,000 people in two minutes”.
Hassan Nasrallah killed
As Hezbollah reels from the pager and radio explosions, Israel targets Beirut with a series of attacks and kills the militant group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Image: Iranian demonstrators hold posters of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Pic: AP
The killing is a monumental event and there are fears that a wider war is now inevitable.
In late September, these fears only deepen as IDF tanks are seen at the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israel moves into Lebanon – and Iran responds
On the last day of the month, Israeli forces cross the border to conduct what they call “limited, localised, and targeted ground raids” against Hezbollah – despite calls from its allies to cease fire.
On 1 October, in an anticipated move, Iran launches nearly 200 missiles, according to Israel’s army radio, in retaliation for Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah.
In the hours that follow, Iran’s state TV claims 90% of the missiles hit their targets while an Israeli spokesman says officials are so far not aware of any injuries from the attack. A Palestinian worker in the West Bank is later confirmed dead after being hit by falling debris following Iran’s attack.
A couple of days later, Iran’s supreme leader said the missile attack on Israel was “fully legal and legitimate” and warned it could be repeated.
Image: A military ambulance drives near the scene where a drone from Lebanon attacked Israel. Pic: Reuters
Israel marks a year since Hamas attacks
On 7 October, Israel goes silent to mark a year since the 2023 Hamas attacks – and attention again falls on the hostages who remain in captivity.
A few days later there is outcry from the leaders of France, Italy and Spain, who condemn “unjustifiable” Israeli attacks that hit the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
In mid-October, a Hezbollah drone attack on an Israeli base kills four soldiers and injures more than 60, sparking alarm within the IDF.
On 18 October, Hamas confirms the death of its leader, Yahya Sinwar.
About a week later, the long-anticipated Israeli response to Iran’s 1 October missile barrage arrives when Israeli warplanes hit Iranian military sites in three waves of airstrikes.
Arrest warrants issued by International Criminal Court
On November 6, after 14 months of war, Mr Netanyahu decides to sack his defence minister Yoav Gallant in a move branded an “act of madness” by an opposition leader.
As ceasefire negotiations still do not produce fruit, Qatar tells Hamas it will no longer host its political office unless the militant group and Israel engage in constructive and meaningful talks.
On 22 November, there is a huge development in the investigation by the International Criminal Court into the events of the last year and a half: arrest warrants are issued for Mr Netanyahu, Mr Gallant and Hamas leader Ibrahim al Masri.
Later that month, Israel and Hezbollah agree a ceasefire deal with the aim to bring fighting that had killed 3,500 Lebanese people to an end.
Image: Syrian citizens celebrate in the Syrian capital, Damascus. Pic: AP
Syria regime falls
In early December, a lightning offensive by rebel forces in Syria leads to the fall of Bashar al Assad and his regime, a seismic event for the region and a severe blow to Iran’s influence.
As the situation remains uncertain, Israel bombs Syrian military bases, apparently in an effort to ensure weapons including warplanes and chemical weapons do not fall into rebel hands.
IDF troops also seize the Syrian side of the disputed Golan Heights. Mr Netanyahu says his forces will remain in a UN-patrolled buffer zone until a new force on the other side of the border can guarantee security.
War in Gaza continues
In mid-December, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says the death toll in the territory has passed 45,000.
A funeral is also held for five journalists killed in an Israeli strike outside a hospital in Gaza.
At the end of December, the UN calls for protection of health facilities in Gaza after the Israeli military targeted one of the last functioning hospitals.
Hopes for a possible ceasefire deal, which have ebbed and flowed in the months since the last agreement fell apart, are stoked by a report that Hamas has approved a list of 34 Israeli hostages to be returned as part of a possible deal.
However Mr Netanyahu’s office says Hamas has not provided a hostage list “up to this moment”. It comes amid renewed pressure for a deal to be reached before Mr Trump is inaugurated in late January.
But on 13 January, President Joe Biden – going into the final days of his presidency – says a ceasefire deal is “on the brink”.
He says it would include a hostage release deal and a “surge” of aid to Palestinians.
Source : Sky News
