Israel-Hezbollah-Lebanon conflict timeline: Everything that’s happened since 7 October
Israel has initiated a ground offensive in Lebanon amidst rising tensions with Hezbollah, sparking fears of a full-scale war. A spokesperson for Israel confirmed that “limited” raids are currently taking place in the south of Lebanon after months of ongoing conflict between the two sides.
The recent escalation follows a series of explosive attacks in September, where pagers and walkie talkies detonated across Lebanon. Hezbollah has accused Israel of carrying out the attacks, though Israel has not officially commented on the matter. Lebanon’s health ministry reported over 1,000 casualties, including more than 100 women and children, in the past two weeks alone.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, supported by Iran and aligned with Hamas in Gaza, has been escalating rapidly. It all began on 7 October, when Hamas launched a deadly attack inside Israel, resulting in around 1,200 casualties and 250 hostages being taken into Gaza. In response, Hezbollah fired rockets into the Shebaa Farms area near the Lebanese-Syrian border, vowing to continue until a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza.
Since then, the violence has intensified along the Lebanon-Israel border, forcing over 100,000 Lebanese citizens and 60,000 Israelis to flee their homes. The clashes have claimed numerous lives, with Lebanese health authorities reporting significant casualties from Israeli strikes since October.
October saw further tragedies, including the death of Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah in an Israeli strike, highlighting the dangers faced by media personnel in conflict zones. The situation remained grim as shells and rockets continued to be exchanged between the opposing sides, with occasional temporary ceasefires quickly falling apart due to renewed hostilities.
The conflict reached a turning point in early 2024 when Israel took targeted actions against key Hezbollah and Hamas figures, including the assassination of senior commanders. The situation worsened in April with Israel’s strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria, leading to a fresh wave of retaliatory attacks.
In September, a series of explosions targeting Hezbollah members’ communication devices marked a significant escalation, resulting in numerous casualties and prompting further Israeli airstrikes. The situation took a critical turn when Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike, raising concerns of major repercussions.
Most recently, on 1 October, Israel launched a ground invasion into southern Lebanon, escalating the conflict even further. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, wary of potential wider ramifications and hoping for a swift resolution to the deadly stand-off.
As the Israel-Hezbollah-Lebanon conflict continues to unfold, the world watches with bated breath, fearing the devastating consequences of a full-blown war in the region.