Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip

2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
Part of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
Gaza Strip   Evacuated areas inside Israel   Current extent of the Israeli clearing operations in Gaza   Maximum extent of the Hamas invasion of Israel   Areas inside Gaza Strip ordered to be evacuated by Israel See here for a more comprehensive map.
Date 27 October 2023 – present (1 year, 1 month and 2 weeks) Location Gaza Strip with spillover into Israel Status Ongoing Israel orders multiple evacuations across the Gaza Strip IDF launches a ground assault in Gaza City and Khan Yunis
Belligerents
Israel	Hamas PIJ PFLP DFLP PRC Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Jaysh al-Ummah
Commanders and leaders
Yoav Gallant Benny Gantz Herzl Halevi Tomer Bar Ronen Bar Yaron Finkelman	Mohammed Deif Yahya Sinwar Khalil Bathani Abu Jamal Abu Khaled
Units involved
Israel Defense Forces 36th "Ga'ash" Armored Division 98th Paratroopers Division 99th Reserve Infantry Division 146th "HaMapatz" Reserve Armored Division 162nd "HaPlada" Armored Division 252nd Sinai Reserve Armored Division 261st Reserve Brigade 460th "Bnei Or" Armored Training Brigade File:תג יחידה - חטיבה 828 - ביסמל"ח.svg 828th "Bislamach" Training Brigade Israeli Air Force Shayetet 13	al-Qassam Brigades Nukhba Al-Quds Brigades Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades National Resistance Brigades Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades
Strength
~40,000	Al-Qassam Brigades: 20,000–40,000
Casualties and losses
Per Israel: 188 killed 937 wounded Per Al-Qassam Brigades: 1,600 killed 3,400 wounded 750 armored vehicles disabled	Per the Euro-Med Monitor: 2,475 militants killed Per Israel: ~8,000 militants killed (in northern Gaza Strip)
28,201 Palestinian civilians killed (Per the Euro-Med Monitor) 9,300–10,200 Palestinian civilians killed (Per the Open University of Israel) 10,000+ Palestinian civilians killed (Per Israel) 23,708 Palestinians killed, 60,005 injured (Per the Gaza Health Ministry) 58,960 Palestinians injured (Per the Euro-Med Monitor)

On the evening of 27 October 2023, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a large-scale invasion inside the Gaza Strip, as part of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, with the stated goal of destroying Hamas and overthrowing the organization's governance of the Gaza Strip.

Background

Main article: 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Further information: Gaza–Israel conflict

See also: October 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and Evacuation of the northern Gaza Strip

After Hamas militants invaded Israel on 7 October 2023, Israel declared war against Hamas. Israel moved to mobilize 300,000 reservists and began to move armor close to the border with the Gaza Strip in the aftermath. Included in the amassing of armor were Namer armored personnel carriers and Merkava tanks.

Prior to the raids, Israel had called for the more than one million people living in the north half of the Gaza Strip to evacuate during a 24-hour window, while Hamas instructed those residents to stay put. The IDF had urged around 1.1 million civilians to leave North Gaza so they would not be hurt or caught in crossfire, and Israeli officials said that the window was left at 24-hours to reduce the time for Hamas to conduct military preparation in the area. However, aid groups stated that the time window was too short to evacuate the one million people, and lack of electricity in Gaza hampered the ability of electronic communications regarding the evacuation to reach Gazans. Israel had dropped leaflets in Gaza City containing the evacuation order, in addition to electronic communications.

On 21 October 2023, the Israeli army dropped more leaflets in Gaza with the message: "Urgent warning! To the residents of Gaza: your presence to the North of Wadi Gaza is putting your lives at risk. Anyone who chooses not to evacuate from the North of the Gaza Strip to the South of the Gaza Strip may be identified as a partner in a terrorist organization."

Raids inside Gaza

On 13 October 2023, the Israeli Defense Forces sent armored vehicles and infantry into the Gaza Strip, stating that their goals were to attack Hamas militants and to rescue hostages that had been abducted to Gaza by Hamas. The operation, according to Israeli officials, was not part of a larger and widely anticipated ground invasion, but rather a raid in which troops only temporarily enter the Gaza Strip. The IDF confirmed the same day that Israeli remains were located and retrieved in the Gaza Strip.

Another raid, headed by the Givati Brigade and the 162nd Armored Division, took place between 25 and 26 October and was the largest offensive so far, including tanks, other vehicles and IDF Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozers. A follow-up raid took place the next night in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City.

Invasion

Israeli ground forces in the Gaza Strip

27 October

Internet and mobile phone services in Gaza were almost completely cut off. On the evening of 27 October, the IDF launched a large-scale ground assault on the towns of Beit Hanoun and Bureij in the Gaza Strip. The assault came amid a series of large-scale Israeli airstrikes that cut off mobile communications and internet access in Gaza. Shayetet 13, a commando unit of the Israeli Navy, carried out a strike on Hamas naval forces overnight. An Israeli Skylark II drone was shot down on Gaza Strip.

28 October

Israel said that the units deployed inside the Gaza Strip the previous night were still on the ground, which marked the beginning of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. The IDF announced it was "expanding ground operations" in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military reissued a call to Gaza residents to evacuate the north as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the "second phase of the war has begun".

IDF forces during ground operations in the Gaza Strip on 31 October

IDF forces during ground operations in the Gaza Strip on 1 November

The IDF advanced on three fronts: from the northeast near Beit Hanoun, from the northwest near Beit Lahia, and from the east near Juhor ad-Dik.

29 October

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), described as "deeply concerning" reports from the Palestinian Red Crescent with smoke and dust, prompting staff to give breathing masks to some patients. Around 14,000 civilians were believed to be sheltering in or near the hospital.scent that the al-Quds hospital had received an urgent evacuation warning along with a notice that it was "going to be bombarded". He reiterated that it was "impossible to evacuate hospitals full of patients without endangering their lives". Israeli airstrikes targeted the area around the hospital, filling parts of the builing. Associated Press reported that Israeli airstrikes also destroyed roads leading to the Al-Shifa hospital, making it increasingly difficult to reach. Later in the day, Hamas said that Palestinian militants clashed with Israeli tanks in Salah al-Din Street in Gaza and forced them to retreat. The Institute for the Study of War also stated that Israel withdrew from the road.

30 October

The IDF blocked the Salah al-Din Road, a major thoroughfare connecting the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip. Israeli tanks were also seen in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. A local resident told AFP that the Israelis "have cut the Salah al-Din road and are firing at any vehicle that tries to go along it." Witnesses reported, and a video showed, an Israeli tank firing on a taxi with a white flag on its roof that had attempted to turn around. An Israeli military spokesman said "The IDF was not shown any proof that this is a civilian car and there's no information on who is inside." A kidnapped IDF private was freed the same day in an operation headed by the IDF, with assistance from Shin Bet and Mossad. In northwest Gaza, the Al-Qassam Brigades and the DFLP's National Resistance Brigades engaged Israeli forces, and the National Resistance Brigades bombarded Israeli vehicles with heavy mortar shells.

1 November

IDF reported the deaths of 16 soldiers, 15 inside Gaza and one outside of Palestinian territory.

On 2 November, IDF had completely surrounded Gaza City, which began the siege of Gaza City. Al-Qassam Brigades showed footage of the destruction of an Israeli Merkava tank after its fighters used an Al-Yassin 105mm rocket-propelled grenade to neutralize its Trophy protection system.

4 November

A UNRWA spokeswoman confirmed reports that Israel had conducted an airstrike against a United Nations-run school in the Jabalia refugee camp. According to the Gaza health ministry, the attack killed 15 and wounded dozens more. According to UNRWA, at least one strike hit the schoolyard, where displaced families had set up their tents. The Gaza Ministry of Health said another Israeli missile strike on the entrance to the Nasser Children's Hospital killed two women. According to White House officials, efforts to evacuate foreign nationals through the Rafah border crossing were temporarily hindered by Hamas's refusal to allow anyone to leave, until a certain number of its own wounded were also allowed to leave. Hamas stated that within the last two days they had destroyed 24 Israeli vehicles, including a tank, an APC, and a bulldozer with anti-armour weapons.

Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel "in view of the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in Gaza caused by the continuing attacks by Israel against civilians, and Israel's refusal (to accept) a ceasefire." President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters he held Netanyahu personally responsible for civilian deaths in Gaza and said that he was "no longer someone we can talk to".

Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, reported that due to Israeli air strikes, the bodies of 23 missing Israeli hostages were buried under the rubble.

5 November

IDF reported that 29 soldiers had been killed, and one severely wounded, during the fighting in the Gaza Strip.

6 November

Israeli missile attacks targeted the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza City, hitting the Al-Nasser Children's Hospital, eight people were killed and dozens more were injured according to Al Jazeera. Human Rights Watch called for a weapons embargo against both Israel and Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups, accusing them of committing war crimes against civilians.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the US Biden administration was planning to send $320 million worth of "Spice Family Gliding Bomb Assemblies", a type of precision guided weapon fired by warplanes, to Israel. Under the deal, weapons manufacturer Rafael USA would send the bombs to its Israeli parent Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for use by the Israeli defense ministry.

10 November

Netanyahu said the IDF would control Gaza after the war and rejected proposals to establish an international force in the strip.

11 November

Four IDF soldiers—a major, a sergeant major, and two master sergeants—were killed and other four were wounded after a tunnel exploded in their vicinity near Beit Hanoun. All casualties were from the 697th battalion of the 551st Reserve Brigade Arrows of Fire. Among the dead was Matan Meir, the executive producer of the Israeli television series Fauda.

13 November

Avatar of Israel Defense Forces

Israel Defense Forces

@IDF

Beneath the Rantisi Hospital in Gaza, IDF forces found a room where Israeli hostages are believed to have been held. The calendar found in the room marked the days since 7 October Massacre with the title "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood", Hamas's name for their horrific attack on Israel.

14 November 2023

The IDF published a video which they said showed that Hamas had a facility under Al-Rantisi Hospital, and that Israeli hostages were likely hidden there. The video showed, among others, a stash of weapons and explosives; what appears to be a motor bike with a bullet hole on its side; and water, ventilation and sewage infrastructure that the IDF stated were improvised in preparation of coming hostages.

According to The New York Times, the origins of the weapons shown in the video could not be independently verified.

Charles Lister, Director of the Counterterrorism and Extremism Program at the Middle East Institute, stated the IDF footage "clearly indicated" that the basement was a bomb shelter. Mohammed Zarqout, a local official responsible for Gaza's hospitals, stated the basement was a shelter for women and children.

The IDF also presented a calendar that they said was found under the hospital marking the days since 7 October, with the title "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood". Israel stated the calendar was a list "where every terrorist writes his name". However, this claim was criticized by fluent Arabic speakers as "propaganda", who said that the words in Arabic only spelled out the days of the week.

14 November

External videos
Instagram videos by Ahmed Hijazi of the Al-Shifa Hospital strike shown in the Visual Investigations report published by The New York Times. Contains graphic images of severe injury.
A video of the airstrikes and immediate injuries.
Shows dead and injured in the aftermath.

The New York Times published a report by its Visual Investigations team contradicting claims by the IDF that civilian deaths and damage at the al-Shifa Hospital had been caused by stray Palestinian projectiles. The report concluded instead, "some of the munitions were likely fired by Israeli forces", based on video and satellite evidence and an examination of weapons fragments collected and verified by The Times and analyzed by experts. Moreover, two of the most severe strikes analyzed by The Times hit upper floors of the maternity ward and did not appear to be aimed at underground infrastructure. "Israel's assertion that Al-Shifa was actually hit by a Palestinian projectile echoed similar – and unresolved – claims and counterclaims following munitions that hit the courtyard of another Gaza hospital, Al-Ahli, nearly a month ago. The evidence reviewed by The Times from Al-Shifa points more directly to strikes by Israel – whether on purpose or by accident is unclear," the report said. The IDF has stated that it is targeting Al Shifa Hospital due to its use by Hamas, and that there is a command center underneath the facility, with US officials stating that their intelligence confirms Israel's conclusions that Hamas is operating out of hospitals in Gaza. A day earlier the EU issued a joint declaration condemning Hamas for its use of hospitals and civilians as "human shields" in Gaza. A number of countries and international organizations condemned what they called Hamas' use of hospitals and civilians as human shields.

IDF soldiers carried boxes into al-Shifa, labeled in English and Arabic as "medical supplies" and "baby food". In an interview with Al Jazeera, an emergency room employee stated that Israel "did not bring any aid or supplies", while another contact within the hospital told BBC that Israeli soldiers had supplied water to elderly patients. Several hours later, the IDF stated they had found weapons in al-Shifa, indicating the presence of a command center. The IDF released a video that they said showed grenades, automatic weapons and flak jackets recovered from the hospital. John Kirby, a US government official, stated that the US remained confident in their previous assessment that a Hamas military compound exists underneath the hospital.

In response, Mouin Rabbani, a Middle East analyst, stated, "Israeli forces have invaded Shifa Hospital and been inside it for 12 full hours – having refused any independent party to accompany them – and now we're supposed to believe that there were Hamas militants in there being pursued by the Israeli military but they somehow left their weapons behind?" Political analyst Marwan Bishara stated, "It's kind of baffling. Why would Hamas leave the guns and not anything else?" Jeremy Scahill stated, "I've seen more guns in the homes of ordinary Americans than in this purported Hamas Pentagon under al-Shifa Hospital."

16 November

Netanyahu had stated in an interview with CBS that the Israeli government had "strong indications" that hostages were in al-Shifa, which was one of the reasons they entered the hospital. It was reported that the body of Yehudit Weiss, a 65-year-old woman who was kidnapped from Be’eri kibbutz, was found in a building near the hospital.

Residents in parts of southern Gaza reportedly received evacuation notices, sparking concerns over an expansion of the invasion. A fuel shortage was widely reported to have caused a shutdown of all internet and phone networks in the Gaza Strip, according to its two primary telecom providers Jawwal and Paltel.

17 November

Internet and telecom services were restored after Israel reportedly agreed to allow the delivery of 140,000 liters of fuel into the Gaza Strip every two days following a request by the US to do so, consisting of 20,000 liters to be delivered to Jawwal and Paltel to maintain telecom and internet service and 120,000 liters for water desalination, sewage pumping, food production and hospitals. It was reported that the body of Noa Marciano, a 19-year-old soldier who was taken captive on 7 October, was found in a building near al-Shifa hospital.

18 November

Israeli strikes killed more than 80 people in Jabalia refugee camp.

A World Health Organization team visited the al-Shifa hospital amid reports that the Israeli army commander sent patients away with an Agence France-Presse journalist reportedly witnessing the departure of patients and displaced persons from the hospital.

Jordan's foreign minister Ayman Safadi stated that Arab troops would not go into Gaza to assume control after the war.

19 November

The IDF released footage of an underground tunnel under al-Shifa. The tunnel, which is 160 meters long and 10 meters deep, passes directly under the Qatari building of the hospital; it has air-conditioned rooms, bathrooms, a kitchenette, electricity connections and communication infrastructure, and is protected by a blast door. The IDF also released CCTV footage that appears to show two of the hostages being led in the hospital's corridors, as well as Hamas and stolen IDF vehicles in its courtyard. During the 1980s, Israel expanded the hospital with functional basements for maintenance and administration purposes; and a network of tunnels was part of this construction. According to Israel, Hamas eventually appropriated the complex, then expanded it with its own system of tunnels and bunkers. Multiple sources concluded that evidences did not demonstrate the use of the tunnels by Hamas as a command center.

A group of 31 premature babies were evacuated from al-Shifa hospital to southern Gaza.

The White House denied reporting from The Washington Post that a Qatari brokered five-day ceasefire deal had been reached. The deal would have included a five-day ceasefire in exchange for the stepwise release of female and child hostages in small groups. The U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson stated on X (formerly Twitter): "We have not reached a deal yet, but we continue to work hard to get to a deal".

20 November

IDF tanks completely surrounded the Indonesia Hospital in Gaza after heavy fire using artillery weapons against it, around 12 Palestinians were killed in clashes around the hospital according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Around 700 people, including the injured and medical staff, were inside the facility when the IDF surrounded it. The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, responded on X (formerly known as Twitter) saying he was "appalled" by the Israeli forces and their actions against the Indonesia Hospital by keeping the injured and medical staff inside the building while besieging it.

On 20 November the IDF released video footage of what appears to be a weapons manufacturing facility hidden behind a false wall inside the basement of a mosque in Zeitoun, Gaza. IDF soldiers also discovered weapons, explosive devices, a drone, and a vertical tunnel shaft inside the building.

21 November

The IDF moved its frontline to encircle the Jabaliya refugee camp where they are battling Palestinian militants and attempting to control with IDF forces getting more equipment for the attack.

22 November

Israel and Hamas reached a temporary ceasefire agreement, providing for a four-day "pause" or "lull" in hostilities, to allow for the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza. The deal also provided for the release of approximately 150 Palestinian women and children incarcerated by Israel. The agreement was approved by the Israeli cabinet in the early hours of the day; in a statement, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated Israel's intention to continue the war.

According to Hamas, in addition to the truce and prisoner exchange, the deal also involved Israel halting all air sorties over southern Gaza and maintaining a daily six-hour daytime no-fly window over northern Gaza, in addition to the entry of hundreds of trucks of humanitarian, medical and fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government said that the truce would be extended by one day for every additional 10 hostages released by Hamas. The deal was brokered by Egypt and Qatar, and Egyptian state media announced the truce will enter into effect on the morning of 23 November. Qatari Foreign Affairs minister Mohamed Bin Mubarak Al-Khulaifi, whom Reuters referred to as "Qatar's chief negotiator in ceasefire talks," stated his hope that the truce "will be a seed to a bigger agreement and a permanent cease of fire...That's our intention."

The IDF released video footage from Sheikh Zayed, an area which is home to many senior members of Hamas. The footage showed what the IDF claimed to be a rocket launcher situated near a school, and an armament-laden truck used in the 7 October attack parked in the courtyard of a mosque.

Truce

23 November

The IDF released footage showing a weapons cache hidden under a child's bed, which it stated belonged to the child of a senior Hamas official.

24 November

Hamas released 13 Israeli hostages, 10 Thai nationals, and one Filipino captive. Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners. The IDF also revised the number of hostages held in Gaza to 236.

25 November

Hamas released 13 Israeli and four foreign hostages after a seven-hour delay from their agreed time. Hamas was accused of violating the deal after not having released a mother with her child.

26 November

Hamas released 17 hostages, including 14 Israelis and three Thai nationals. Israel also released 39 teenage Palestinian prisoners.

27 November

Qatar announced that an agreement between Israel and Hamas to extend the truce by two days had been reached.

28 November

Both Israel and Hamas accused each other of violating the truce. The IDF reported that several soldiers sustained minor injuries following an attack by Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip by three explosive devices that it said were detonated near its forces at two different locations, while Hamas said it had engaged Israel in a "field clash" that it said was instigated by Israel. Turkish media and Muhammad al-Hindi, Deputy Secretary-General of the PIJ, confirmed that Al-Quds Brigade soldiers held and released civilian women and children to the Red Cross.

29 November

Hamas released 12 hostages, 10 of them Israeli and two of them Thai nationals. Afterwards, Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas continued to deny the International Committee of the Red Cross access to the remaining hostages.

30 November

Hamas released two more hostages as the truce, which was supposed to end minutes later, was extended by another day.

An Israeli Skylark II drone was reported shot down on central Gaza. The remains were recorded by Palestinian media.

Resumption of hostilities

1 December

Upon the expiry of the truce, the Israeli army was subject to several ambushes and attacks by Palestinian militants.

The IDF engaged in battles against militants in Zeitoun. Soldiers at the Netzarim Junction on the Salah al-Din Road south of Zeitoun neighbourhood were subjected to mortar shelling by Saraya al Quds. Palestinian fighters ambushed Israeli forces in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood west of Zeitoun.

The IDF stated on 18 November that it was expanding offensive operations toward Jabalia city in the northern Gaza Strip.

2 December

Palestinian militants led by Saraya al Quds resisted the Israeli penetration into the northwestern front towards Jabalia, engaging soldiers in urban warfare throughout the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhoods. Al Qassam launched 3 loitering munitions to target Israeli forces throughout northern Gaza. They also targeted Israeli soldiers in Beit Hanoun, firing at groups, normally holed up in buildings with rockets. An IDF Caterpillar D9 armoured bulldozer was also targeted by Palestinian rockets at Juhor ad-Dik. PFLP militants targeted the Gaza envelope with rockets and mortar shelling.

3 December

Israeli forces in Northern Gaza were subject to heavy attacks, led by Al-Qassam Brigades. In Sheikh Radwan, Israeli soldiers were trapped in a booby-trapped tunnel then shelled by Palestinian mortar fire. Three vehicles were targeted by Saraya al Quds with small arms and tandem-charged RPGs.

December 8

Khan Yunis and Central Gaza axis

Israeli forces begun to enter Khan Yunis, reporting the most violent fighting in the entire war with the Israeli 7th Brigade engaged in a multi-hour complex attack on Palestinian militias.

Al-Qassam brigades displayed a shift to more sophisticated battle tactics, including rigging houses to detonate when entered by Israeli soldiers. Primary relying on rockets, damage was inflicted on Israeli vehicles while Saraya al Quds, DFLP, and PFLP shelled advancing forces with mortar fire. The IDF conducted land and sea raids on central Gaza, specifically Deir al-Balah to destroy militant command posts.

Siege of Gaza City

Israeli sources reported stiff resistance by Palestinian militants in Shujaiyya, in southern Gaza city, as the 188th Brigade was sent to fight in the neighbourhood.

Qassem Brigades targeted vehicles with RPGs Sheikh Radwan and Zaytoun, while Saraya al Quds fighters claimed two tandem-charged RPG and grenade attacks on Israeli forces on advancing axes in the Shujaiya and Zaytoun neighborhoods. Attempts to close in on Jabalia have resulted in significant Israeli casualties, with the IDF acknowledging Gadi Eizenkot's son been eliminated fighting in the northern Gaza Strip on December 7. The Qassam Brigades claimed that its fighters killed the soldier when they detonated an IED on a tunnel door on the eastward line of advance into Jabalia.

In a video publicised by Saraya Al Quds, three militants take positions within the ruins of an urban centre in Gaza, as a Merkava arrives, firing at the militants with its machine guns. They then shoot from three positions with multiple rockets, overriding the Trophy system and destroying the tank. A fighter can be seen rejoicing, exclaiming that the tank had "caught fire"

10 December

The Times of Israel announced that 6 IDF soldiers were killed in fighting in the southern Gaza strip, after Hamas fighters detonated an IED targeting the Israeli 5th Brigade's 8111st Battalion forces in Khan Younis. Israeli forces announced that they conducted airstrikes and helicopter strikes in response and eliminated several Hamas fighters.

12 December

Israel announced that a further 10 IDF soldiers had been killed in the fighting in the Gaza Strip, including a Colonel and 7 other soldiers of the Golani Brigade, that were killed in the Shuja'iyya area of Gaza after Hamas fighters ambushed them.

15 December

The IDF released a statement announcing that they had killed three of their own hostages by friendly fire. According to the Israeli military, they "mistakenly identified three Israeli hostages as a threat" during operations in Shuja'iyya and subsequently fired at them, killing them. According to an Israeli military official on 16 December, the three hostages were shirtless and were carrying "a stick with a white cloth on it" when an Israeli soldier, who declared them to be "terrorists" after feeling "threatened", opened fire, killing two hostages and injuring the third, who was killed by Israeli reinforcements.

18 December

Israel announced the deaths of 7 IDF soldiers, mostly killed in the fighting in the southern Gaza strip. Bringing the Israeli death toll to 53 since 1 December. The IDF stated they were facing tough opposition in Gaza.

20 December

Qassam militants confronted Israeli vehicles in the Khan Yunis axis, targeting a Namer APC and an IDF Caterpillar D9. In a video publication, Qassam militants are shown firing a rocket at a Merkava, destroying the Windbreaker and proving that Yassin 105 rockets are able to bypass or override interception and damage tanks.

24 December

Israel announced that 15 IDF soldiers had been killed in heavy fighting in Gaza in the 23–24 December period, including six killed when a Namer APC was hit by an anti-tank missile. The IDF also claimed to have killed Hamas' chief of supplies.

30 December

Militants engaged Israeli vehicles in the Khan Yunis axis of the invasion. In an episode a tank is targeted by a rocket, tearing off a plate which lands near the militant demonstrating the capabilities of the Yassin 105 rockets against the Merkava's APS. Another fighter erupts from a tunnel, ambushing a tank in an unusual strategy recorded during the invasion where the militants sneak up to the vehicle and place and IED on them from zero distance. A Caterpillar D-9 bulldozer is also targeted, setting it on fire.

6 January

The IDF claimed that it had completed the dismantlement of Hamas's "military framework" in the northern Gaza Strip as it moved to attack Hamas forces in Central Gaza. The Institute for the Study of War warned that does not mean that Hamas forces are entirely eradicated and could reconstitute themselves.

Israeli strategy

IDF forces before entering into combat in the Gaza Strip

On 29 October, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said he expected the "second stage of the war" to last "months". Subsequent phases are expected to be the removal of small pockets of resistance, and, finally, withdrawal from Gaza.

Even after Israeli troops entered the Gaza Strip and began to maintain a persistent physical presence in the region beginning on 27 October, Israel's military had adopted a strategy of referring to the invasion as "operations" and "raids" rather than an "invasion". According to the Associated Press, this communications strategy was undertaken to preserve operational flexibility and to keep hostile forces guessing as to Israel's military plans. The United States has urged Israel to avoid a full-scale invasion and to instead conduct "surgical" operations to avoid casualties and a regional escalation. Israeli military sources said there were over 20,000 IDF troops in Gaza as of 31 October.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will have overall security responsibility over the Gaza Strip for an indefinite period following the war. European Commission president Von der Leyen stated that there should not be a long-term Israeli security presence in Gaza, and suggested a UN mandated peace force as a possibility; while US President Joe Biden said, "When this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next, and in our view it has to be a two-state solution." On 11 November, Netanyahu widened the split with the US over postwar governance, saying that he was against the Palestinian Authority having a role there.

Charges of war crimes

Main article: War crimes in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war

and

During the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, numerous viral videos showed Israeli soldiers committing war crimes. A series of videos in mid-December 2023 showed IDF troops burning food, vandalizing a shop, and ransacking private homes. The Euro-Med Monitor recorded instances where soldiers deliberately stole civilians' assets, including laptops, gold, and large quantities of cash. Euro-Med Monitor also reported on soldiers recorded harassing corpses, dragging them, urinating on them, and amputating them. In a social media post, the Council on American–Islamic Relations condemned a video of an Israeli solider stating, "Maybe I killed a girl, she was 12, but I'm looking for a baby." On 2 January 2024, Palestinian diplomat Laith Arafeh condemned reports that Israeli soldiers kidnapped a baby from Gaza.

During the invasion of the Gaza Strip, South Africa argued that Israel was guilty of committing a genocide in Gaza and instituted proceedings against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). South Africa's submission placed the charges in the broader context of Israel's conduct towards Palestinians, including claims of 75-years of apartheid, the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the 16-year blockade of the Gaza Strip. South Africa requested that the ICJ render provisional measures of protection.

Reactions

Iran

According to Al Jazeera English, on 15 October, "Iran warned Israel of regional escalation if the Israeli military [entered] Gaza for a ground invasion". Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that if efforts to stop Israeli attacks in Gaza failed, it was increasingly likely that "other fronts [would] be opened".

United States

In an interview aired on 15 October, US President Joe Biden said it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza again. But taking out the extremists, the Hezbollah up north, Hamas down south, is a necessary requirement. He also called to entirely eliminate Hamas U.S. officials said the Biden administration advised Israel to delay the ground invasion of Gaza to allow more time for hostage negotiations.

Former CIA director David Petraeus warned that a ground offensive in Gaza "could be Mogadishu on steroids very quickly."

Egypt

On 25 October, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi warned that a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip would cause "many, many civilian casualties".

Saudi Arabia

On 27 October, Saudi officials strongly cautioned the United States that an Israeli ground operation in Gaza could have devastating consequences for the Middle East.

Israeli public

On 19 October, a poll by the Israeli newspaper Maariv found that 65% of Israelis supported a ground invasion and 21% opposed it. In comparison, according to a poll conducted for Israel's Maariv newspaper on 25 and 26 October, only 29% of Israelis supported an immediate large-scale ground offensive into the Gaza Strip. Maariv said that "It is almost certain that the developments on the matter of the hostages, which is now topping the agenda, have had a great impact on this shift." According to a survey carried out by the Hebrew University on 7–9 December on the post-war handling of Gaza 56% of Israelis opposed the annexation of Gaza with only 33% in favor while 11% were uncertain. When questioned on who should administer Gaza in the immediate post-war period 23% of Israelis supported a coalition of moderate Arab states, 22% for Israeli military rule, 18% for an international force take charge of the territory, 18% for Israel annexing Gaza and 11% support for the return of the Palestinian Authority.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, that represents the families of kidnapped Israelis, complained that no one had explained "whether the ground operation endangers the well-being of the 229 hostages".

Casualties

Military casualties

The Israeli Army suffered heavy casualties during the current invasion. By 1 January 2024, 175 soldiers have been killed and more than 937 were injured, per Israel. Among the deaths 29 were due to friendly fire incidents and accidents. In a single episode the targeting of an armoured personel carrier with anti-tank missiles killed 9 soldiers instantly. The current casualties surpass previous IDF tolls on Operation Protective Edge and Operation Cast Lead with 67 and 6 killed respectively.

Civilian casualties

Destroyed houses-- Gaza City (on October 8, 2023)

The Gaza Strip has faced massive civilian casualties during the invasion, with at least 13,000 Palestinians reportedly killed since October 27 according to the Gaza Health Ministry, an estimate that is believed to be an undercount. With almost half of the people in Gaza being under 14 years old, a very large number of children have been killed leading Gaza to be declared "the most dangerous place to be a child"

Most civilian deaths during the invasion were caused by airstrikes with many killed during the strikes on Jabalia, Fakhoora school, Maghazi. Civilians have also been killed by Israeli soldier fire or shelling by tanks, in both reported and verified incidents. Though the Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, civilian death rates have been estimated by outside sources. The Euro-med monitor whose estimates exceed the Gaza Health Ministry's owing to the inclusion of missing bodies under rubble has estimated that at least 17,000 civilians have been killed since October 27, while the Open University of Israel had said that at least 61% of the Palestinians killed were civilians, noting that the civilian to combatant death ratio in this war was higher than all other wars of the 20th century. Despite international skepticism, Israeli sources including IDF officials have deemed the Gaza health ministry's death toll accurate.

Effects on children

Further information: Children in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict § Effects on children

UNICEF spokesperson Toby Fricker stated, "There is no safe place for children anywhere across the strip right now." UNICEF: Children were disproportionately impacted by Israel's attack on Gaza. On 13 November, UNICEF stated more than 700,000 children in Gaza were displaced. The Palestine Red Crescent Society stated displaced children were suffering, due to power outages, lack of basic essentials, and "scenes of pain and fear." The executive director of UNICEF, toured Gaza on 15 November, stating many children were buried under rubble and lacking medical care. The head of pediatrics at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, stated due to the lack of clean water, he was witnessing the "most serious epidemic of gastroenteritis" among children he had ever seen.

See also

• Outline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
• List of military engagements during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
• Timeline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
• October 2023 Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip
• United States support for Israel in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
• 2005 Israeli disengagement from Gaza
• Population statistics for Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip