The Israel-Hamas war — in maps and charts

Latest situation: Israel tests Hamas-free ‘bubbles’ plan for postwar Gaza

Israel is preparing to test an experimental model for running postwar Gaza, by creating a series of “bubbles” that are designed to be Hamas-free but have been met with incredulity by many people briefed on the plans.

The pilot scheme for the “humanitarian enclaves” — a template for what Israel imagines would follow the war — will soon be launched in the northern Gaza neighbourhoods of Atatra, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia, according to six people with knowledge of the plan.

But even with the Israeli military on the cusp of starting the pilots, there is widespread scepticism over their viability given the violent opposition of Hamas, infighting in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over the details and tepid backing from Arab states.

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Under the scheme, the Israeli military would funnel aid from the nearby Western Erez crossing to vetted local Palestinians, who would distribute the aid and gradually expand their responsibilities to take over civilian governance in the area. Israeli forces, at least for an initial phase, would ensure security.

If successful, Israel would then expand the “bubbles” southward to other parts of Gaza, as a means to replace Hamas rule after nearly two decades of the militant group governing the strip. One person familiar with Israeli thinking said the plan was also seen as a way to apply pressure on Hamas in sputtering talks over a ceasefire-for-hostage deal.

Impact on population: Death toll in Gaza tops 37,000; over 100 hostages in captivity

The Israel Defense Forces launched air and land offensives in Gaza in response to Hamas’s October 7 cross-border assault in southern Israel.

Hamas killed more than 1,200 people during the attack and seized about 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials, who say 120 hostages are still in captivity.

More than 37,000 people have been killed during the Israeli assault on Gaza, according to Palestinian officials.

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Humanitarian workers inside Gaza have also faced significant danger during the conflict, with an unprecedented number being killed.

Seven international aid workers were killed in an April strike, with Israel later admitting that its soldiers had made errors in targeting the humanitarian convoy. More than 200 employees of UNRWA, a UN agency that provides aid and support to Palestinians, have also been killed.

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After October 7, the IDF initially moved into northern Gaza before sweeping south towards Khan Younis and then Rafah. On May 24 the International Court of Justice said conditions in Rafah were “disastrous” and ordered Israel to “immediately halt” its military offensive in the city.

More than 2mn people in Gaza have been displaced by the conflict, with many leaving Rafah and some moving to al-Mawasi or other IDF-declared “humanitarian areas”, while others head north towards the cities of Khan Younis and Deir al Balah.

Food and water insecurity: Aid deliveries slump after IDF seizure of Rafah crossing

Aid deliveries containing urgently needed food, water and medical supplies have not been able to enter Gaza at their usual levels since the war began.

The shortages have worsened since IDF troops took “operational control” of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on May 6.

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The struggle to access food aid, which is urgently needed to prevent Gazans slipping into famine, is forecast to have reached “catastrophic” levels.

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The US has built a $320mn floating pier to help get more aid into Gaza, but shipments have been affected by storms and poor sea conditions.

The endeavour has drawn criticism from aid groups who say it is costly and limited in capacity, compared with more efficient land routes that have frequently been impeded by Israeli restrictions and far-right protests.

Since Israel launched its Gaza offensive, damage to infrastructure and lack of fuel and electricity have also led to a severe water shortage.

Before the war, Gaza sourced most of its water from an underground aquifer or Israeli state-owned water company Mekorot. According to an April UN OCHA report, two of the Mekorot pipelines have been closed and the third is operating at only partial capacity. Israel has recently moved towards reopening them after pressure from the US.

Meanwhile, only one of the six wastewater treatment plants and two of three desalination plants are partially working.

Infrastructure damage: More than half of Gaza’s buildings damaged by fighting

According to damage assessments from researchers at the CUNY Graduate Center and Oregon State University, more than half of all buildings across the Gaza Strip have suffered damage, rising to nearly 80 per cent in Gaza City.

The damage in Khan Younis and Rafah has also increased as Israel expanded its offensive from northern Gaza to the rest of the territory.

October 7 2023: Hamas attacks Israel

As much of Israel slept, Hamas militants launched an multipronged dawn assault on the country from the Gaza Strip.

The assault began in the early hours of the morning on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, with thousands of rockets fired at Israeli towns and cities. Many were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defence system, but satellite imagery showed fires and smoke rising from locations that were hit.

Hundreds of Hamas fighters simultaneously attacked by land, air and sea, breaching the fortified barrier between Gaza and Israel.

Militants used motorised paragliders to attack the Supernova music festival, which was taking place not far from the Gaza border. After flying in, they shot many Israelis and took others as hostages.

After breaching the Gaza fence, armed Hamas fighters targeted Israeli communities and military sites at several locations, going door-to-door and performing execution-style killings as well as taking hostages.

More than 1,200 Israeli civilians and troops were killed on October 7, according to Israeli officials — making it the deadliest attack on the country since its foundation.

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Visual and Data team: Aditi Bhandari, Jana Tauschinski, Janina Conboye, Peter Andringa, Steven Bernard, Chris Campbell, Sam Joiner, Lucy Rodgers, Ian Bott, Dan Clark and Alan Smith