Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip

Significance

The Gaza War began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,195 Israelis and foreign nationals and taking 251 hostage. The attack triggered a large-scale Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip involving a force of over 529,000 personnel against Hamas formations estimated at 20,000–40,000 fighters. Palestinian casualties from the offensive exceeded 73,000 killed, with studies published in The Lancet characterizing official figures as likely undercounts. The conflict became a focal point of international legal and political dispute: UN bodies, NGOs, and the International Association of Genocide Scholars concluded that Israel's conduct constituted genocide under international law, and multiple states supported proceedings before the International Court of Justice. Israel and the United States denied that characterization. The war remained unresolved and was prosecuted within the broader context of the longstanding Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflicts, with the Hamas political and military leadership—including Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Deif—arrayed against Israeli military and political leadership under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (16)