How the Israel-Hamas conflict has unfolded in maps, graphics and videos

The week has introduced worry, destruction and uncertainty for thousands and thousands within the area. Right here’s how the occasions unfolded.

Early Saturday morning, underneath the quilt of 1000’s of rockets, Hamas militants breached Israel’s high-tech “smart wall” and went on a killing rampage in small cities throughout southern Israel.

How Hamas breached Israel’s ‘Iron Wall’

The ambush took Israeli forces without warning. Officers stated the attackers overran greater than 20 communities. It took the army 10 hours to reach in some cities. By that time, tons of of civilians had been already lifeless. Militants are believed to have taken more than 100 hostages into Gaza.

Maps and videos show how the deadly surprise attack on Israel unfolded

Combating continues, demise toll rises

Combating continued with militant holdouts inside Israel because the nation formally declared warfare on Hamas. Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group that’s allied with Hamas, fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel.

The Israel Protection Forces launched a punishing marketing campaign of airstrikes on Gaza, displacing 1000’s of individuals within the first 24 hours.

In Israel, the demise toll continued to rise. Greater than 250 our bodies were recovered on the web site of a trance music competition held simply three miles away from the Gaza border. Survivors described drained festivalgoers working for his or her lives in a wide-open discipline as militants gunned them down.

A ‘full siege’ of Gaza

Israeli Protection Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a “full siege” of Gaza, saying Israel would reduce off provides of energy, meals and fuel.

Gazans have lived for 16 years underneath an Israeli blockade supported by Egypt and are closely depending on Israel for electrical energy and different fundamental companies. Slicing off fuel and energy may depart many residents not solely with out electrical energy, but additionally with out clear consuming water, correct sanitation and well being care.

Israel ordered a ‘complete siege’ of Gaza. Here’s what that looks like.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk would a day later condemn the siege, saying that depriving civilians of “items important for his or her survival is prohibited underneath worldwide humanitarian regulation.”

As airstrikes on Gaza continued, fleeing Palestinians noticed their final hope erased. Strikes close to the Rafah crossing with Egypt, the final route out of the territory, closed the checkpoint indefinitely, leaving civilians with nowhere to go.

Scenes of extra destruction

Our bodies in Israel had been nonetheless being discovered. After 2½ days of intense preventing in Kfar Azza — one of many first cities attacked — troopers escorted journalists via scenes of utter smash. Properties had been burned, vehicles had been smashed, and the air smelled of demise.

Israeli commanders said that they had gained management of the border round Gaza, however Hamas continued to fireside rockets into Israel, at the same time as IDF airstrikes focused militant infrastructure and command posts. The army said it had carried out greater than 2,000 strikes throughout Gaza since Saturday, killing tons of of Palestinians.

Israel pledged to focus its hearth on Hamas fighters and abide by worldwide regulation. Two members of Hamas’s political workplace had been killed.

However mosques, hospitals, residential buildings and worldwide assist teams had been additionally hit.

Israeli strikes on Gaza intensified, many concentrated in closely populated areas within the north. The demise toll surpassed 1,100 folks, and greater than 263,000 folks had been displaced throughout the strip. The United Nations introduced 11 employees were killed.

Some of the most devastating strikes Israel has carried out in Gaza

Palestinian authorities stated Gaza’s solely energy plant had run out of gasoline and was now not working.

Israel offers Gaza with energy in two ways. Gaza’s energy plant runs on imported diesel gasoline. There are additionally 10 direct energy strains from Israel to Gaza. Now, each sources had been reduce off.

Making ready for a floor assault

Israeli tanks deployed to the border with Gaza, and reservists arrived for duty on the Julis army base close to Ashkelon.

In the meantime, the Israeli bombardment of Gaza continued.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the IDF, stated in a televised briefing that Israel would now not enable Hamas to exist subsequent door.

“In contrast to different operations, we’re collapsing the governance and sovereignty of the Hamas group,” he stated.

Deep underground, within the northern Israeli metropolis of Haifa, medics lined up hospital beds and braced for the potential of a wider regional escalation. After rocket hearth from Syria earlier within the week, Israel launched missile strikes on two of the nation’s major airports, authorities in Damascus stated.