Understanding the Timeline of the Israel-Hamas Conflict and Key Diplomatic Moves
A veteran American journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner, Seymour Hersh, has claimed through his reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a hostage deal brokered by the United States with Hamas. Hersh shared his account on a blog post published on a platform called bottom stack.
The reporter outlined that Washington had proposed the release of 71 people held hostage. He indicated that there was a consensus between the United States and Hamas on this prisoner exchange, yet Hamas insisted on a pause in hostilities for five days. Hersh quoted that Netanyahu rejected this five‑day halt immediately, casting doubt on any immediate de‑escalation tied to the exchange proposal.
Hersh noted a separate, earlier report suggesting that Israel and Hamas might be preparing for a prisoner swap under a 50-50 framework, a plan that would split outcomes almost evenly between the two sides. This perspective appeared in the same reporting window, signaling ongoing negotiation dynamics despite the broader military confrontation.
The broader backdrop features a dramatic escalation in early October when a large group of militants affiliated with Hamas infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip and announced the operation known as Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Israel’s leadership declared the country to be at war, signaling a shift from routine security operations to a major regional confrontation.
The stated objective of Israel’s campaign, framed as a reaction to Operation Iron Sword, has been framed around several aims: to repel the assault, to secure the release of more than 200 hostages including foreign nationals, and to degrade Hamas’s capabilities. In pursuing these goals, Israel launched extensive rocket strikes on Gaza from the outset of the operation, aiming to neutralize what it views as a continuing threat. Concurrently, the Israeli strategic leadership authorized measures designed to disrupt life in Gaza by restricting water, food, goods, electricity, and fuel supplies as part of a broader pressure tactic. Humanitarian aid convoys began reaching Gaza through the Rafah crossing only after October 20, with officials acknowledging that the volume of aid remained insufficient relative to the need on the ground.
On October 27, Israel announced an expansion of the ground offensive in Gaza. While the exact start date of the ground operation remained unclear, reports indicated that by then hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had already fled their homes, seeking shelter in southern regions or designated safe areas as the conflict intensified. The displacement added a humanitarian dimension to the military crisis, underscoring the civilian toll of the conflict and the difficult choices faced by policymakers and aid organizations alike.
In political rhetoric, former Israeli leaders have repeatedly signaled a hard line against Hamas, with public statements leaving little room for negotiation at certain moments. The overarching message from leadership has centered on dismantling Hamas’s operational capabilities and preventing further attacks, a stance that continues to shape the strategic calculations of regional actors and international observers alike. Analysts and journalists have highlighted the ongoing tension between military objectives and humanitarian considerations as civilian populations bear the brunt of the fighting, underscoring the need for sustained humanitarian access and careful diplomatic engagement in the days ahead.