From Israel-Hamas war to Iran-Pakistan conflict: A timeline of West Asia being on fire since October 7

Since the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, the Middle East has erupted in turmoil for the last three months. While not every event over the last three months is directly linked to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the region has witnessed local flashpoints, attacks and conflicts that is keeping the Middle East on the boil.

On Thursday, just two days after Iran conducted attacks in the Pakistani province of Balochistan, Islamabad responded with a series of military strikes on separatist militant hideouts inside Iran.

Meanwhile, Israel has announced the intensification of its operations against Hamas in southern Gaza, while Palestine reports death toll in Gaza surpassing 24,000 after the Hamas attack killed over 1,200 in Israel.

And on the other hand, US has launched a fresh round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen after Washington re-designated the Iran-backed rebels as a “terrorist” entity due to their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

As the situation in Middle East worsens, here is a timeline of key events in the region since October 7:

October 7, 2023: Hamas gunmen storm southern Israel, killing 1,200 and taking 240 hostages to Gaza, sparking a cycle of violence. The attack sets the stage for an escalating conflict in the region.

October 8: Retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza and a siege by Israel unfold as tensions rise. Concurrently, Hezbollah initiates cross-border shelling, further amplifying the regional crisis with multiple fronts engaged.

October 13: Evacuation calls for Gaza City residents intensify as the conflict deepens. Simultaneously, Hezbollah continues attacks, contributing to the displacement of Gazans.

October 17: An explosion at al-Ahli al-Arabi Baptist hospital in Gaza City triggers outrage and worsens the humanitarian situation.

October 19: The US Navy intercepts missiles and drones from Yemen towards Israel, broadening the conflict’s scope. Diplomatic talks allow limited aid into Gaza.

October 21: Aid trucks permitted into Gaza through Rafah border crossing provide a fraction of the required supplies.

October 27: Israel launches a major ground offensive in Gaza, escalating the conflict and leading to more casualties.

October 30: Israel carries out strikes against military infrastructure in Syria and Lebanon. Israeli fighter jets strike rocket launchers in Syria and Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to earlier rocket launches into Israeli territory.

October 31: Fifteen Israeli soldiers are killed in Gaza fighting, marking a significant turning point in military losses. On the same day, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis rebels announced that they have joined the Israel-Hamas war, firing drones and missiles at Israel.

November 1: Evacuations begin from Gaza through the Rafah crossing for an estimated 7,000 foreign passport-holders, dual nationals, and their dependents.

November 9: A drone launched from Syrian territory hits Israel’s southern city of Eilat. The next day, the Israeli military attacks the militia responsible.

November 15: Israeli troops enter Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City after a siege of several days. The Israelis claim the hospital was being used to conceal an underground headquarters for Hamas fighters, taking the media on a tour of a tunnel there.

November 21: Israel and Hamas announce a truce, attempting to exchange hostages and detainees for a temporary pause in fighting for four days. The ceasefire would eventually be extended for a week in total, freeing 105 hostages and about 240 Palestinian detainees.

December 4: Israeli forces launch a major ground assault in southern Gaza, on the outskirts of the main southern city, Khan Younis.

December 12: Biden criticises Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza, signalling a shift in international perception. US officials visit Israel, urging it to do more to protect civilians and scale down the war.

December 15: Israeli forces mistakenly kill three hostages in Gaza, prompting heavy criticism of Israel’s military operations.

December 22: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iranian-backed militia, says it launched a long-range attack on Israel. Israel says there was no impact.

December 25: A senior Iranian commander gets killed in a suspected Israeli strike in Syria. Mousavi was said to have been an aide to IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by the US in 2020.

December 26: Israeli forces launch a major ground assault on central Gaza, worsening the already dire humanitarian situation.

From January 1, 2024: Israel signals troop withdrawal from Gaza, beginning a new phase in its campaign with its focus shifting to southern areas.

January 11: US and British airstrikes across Yemen in retaliation against Houthi forces, who have been targeting ships in the Red Sea since they decided to join the Israel-Hamas war in November.

Also on January 11: The International Court of Justice hears opening statements in a case in which South Africa has accused Israel of committing a state-led genocide campaign against the Palestinian population. Israel denies the accusation.

January 16: Iran carries out attacks on two bases belonging to the Jaish ul-Adl terror group in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. This strike coincided with a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, the caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

January 16: Iran launches ballistic missiles at what it said was a spy base for Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad in northern Iraq, and at “anti-Iran terror groups” in Syria.

January 18: Pakistan carries out a series of military strikes on separatist militant hideouts inside Iran. Islamabad says its forces launched a “series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes” in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province, killing multiple “terrorists.”

Also on January 18: US forces conducted strikes on 14 missiles that were ready to launch in Yemen, after Washington re-designated the Iran-backed Houthi rebels as a “terrorist” entity due to their continued attack on ships in the Red Sea since November.

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