A hundred days into Operation Al-Aqsa Flood: A timeline of key events

Gaza (Quds News Network) – One hundred days have passed since the Hamas movement in Gaza initiated its surprise resistance operation in the south of Israeli-occupied Palestine, codenamed the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, neutralizing and wounding hundreds of Israeli soldiers in the worst military defeat Israel has ever faced.

In retaliation, Israel launched a brutal war of genocide marked by heinous massacres targeting innocent civilians, while resistance forces continue to engage and confront the invading Israeli army across various regions of the enclave. This is occurring despite the massive destruction caused by the Israeli killing machine.

The following is a chronological sequence of significant events during the hundred days of the war:

October 7, 2023: The military wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, carried out a historic attack on Israeli military sites and settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip. They seized control for hours, resulting in the death of 1,200 Israelis, the capture of 240 prisoners, and their transportation to Gaza, according to Israeli statistics.

In response, the Israeli government declared a state of war, initiating retaliatory airstrikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip, alongside the imposition of a comprehensive blockade, affecting water, food, and electricity supplies.

October 8: Hezbollah in Lebanon began cross-border shelling against Israeli positions, aiming to support Gaza’s resistance and divert the attention of Israeli forces.

October 13: The Israeli government issued evacuation orders to over a million residents of Gaza City, instructing them to move south in preparation for a ground operation in the northern areas of Gaza. However, Israeli forces continued shelling evacuated areas, leaving no safe haven in Gaza.

October 17: An Israeli airstrike targeted the Arab Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, killing hundreds of innocent civilians, including children, and subsequently causing outrage in the Arab world. The hospital, sheltering hundreds of displaced individuals, became a symbol of the humanitarian crisis.

This incident cast a shadow over U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to the region the following day, leading to the cancellation of his scheduled summit with several Arab leaders.

October 19: A U.S. Navy warship intercepted missiles and drones launched from Yemen over the Red Sea towards Israeli territory. The Houthi group in Yemen continued long-range attacks against southern Israel, hindering Israeli ship movements in solidarity with Gaza.

October 21: Aid trucks were allowed to cross the Rafah border crossing from Egypt to Gaza after days of diplomatic controversy. However, this was a meager relief considering the dire shortages of food, water, medicine, and fuel. Efforts continued to secure sufficient supplies amid the Israeli blockade amid escalating humanitarian crises.

October 27: After a week of limited airstrikes, Israeli forces launched a large-scale ground attack in Gaza, starting in the north. Israeli leaders pledged to release all detainees and eliminate the Hamas movement.

October 31: Fifteen Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in Gaza, marking the largest single-day loss for the Israeli army during the war.

November 1: Evacuation operations from Gaza began through the Rafah crossing for about 7,000 foreign passport holders, dual nationals, their families, and those in urgent need of medical treatment. The majority of Gaza residents remained unable to leave the enclave.

November 9: The Israeli government claimed that a drone launched from Syrian territory hit the city of Eilat. The Israeli military later attacked the responsible group, identifying Syria as one of the new fronts expanding the war in Gaza.

November 15: Israeli forces broke into Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza, after a prolonged siege. The medical staff reported deaths of patients, including newborns, due to power shortages and supply interruptions.

November 21: Both the Israeli government and Hamas announced the first ceasefire in the war. An agreement to halt hostilities for four days was reached to exchange women and children detainees in Gaza for those held by Israel, and to allow more aid to enter.

The ceasefire was extended for a week, releasing 105 Israeli protesters and approximately 240 Palestinian prisoners before collapsing, leading to the resumption of hostilities on December 1.

December 4: Days after the ceasefire ended, Israeli forces initiated a major ground attack in southern Gaza, on the outskirts of the main southern city, Khan Yunis. International organizations warned that the next stage of the war, expanding the military campaign from the north to the entire length of the strip, including areas already hosting hundreds of thousands of displaced people, would exacerbate the humanitarian situation significantly.

December 12: Biden stated that Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of Gaza is causing it to lose international support, marking a noticeable shift in the rhetoric of one of Israel’s closest allies.

In the subsequent weeks, several high-ranking U.S. officials visited Israel, urging it to put more effort into protecting civilians, narrowing the scope of the war, and shifting focus specifically to target Hamas leaders.

December 15: Israeli forces killed three detainees in Gaza. The incident prompted some public criticism of the war’s course within Israel, although the campaign continued to enjoy widespread internal support.

December 22: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq declared that it conducted a long-range attack on Israel. The Israeli Minister of War later claimed that Iraq was among the regional fronts the war expanded to in Gaza.

December 26: Israeli forces launched a major ground attack on areas in central Gaza following a series of airstrikes, again resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, most of whom were already displaced.

January 1, 2024: The Israeli government announced it would begin withdrawing some of its forces from Gaza in a new stage that would be more targeted than the war, claiming it would last for several months. Officials stated that this tactical shift would commence in northern Gaza, while intense fighting continued in southern regions.

January 2, 2024: Israeli forces carried out an assassination operation targeting the Deputy Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas.

January 11: U.S. and British warplanes, ships and submarines launched dozens of airstrikes across Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The United States carried out another strike in Yemen the following day. The Houthis claim that five of their fighters were martyred in the initial strikes and vow to retaliate, continuing their attacks on ships.

January 11: The International Court of Justice listens to opening statements in a case accusing South Africa of complicity in committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.