Siege of Gaza City

Siege of Gaza City
	Part of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, the insurgency in the northern Gaza Strip, and the Gaza war
	; Besieged Gaza City in June 2024
Date	2 November 2023 – 19 January 2025; (1 year, 6 months, 1 week and 4 days)
Location	Gaza City, Gaza Strip
Result	Ceasefire; siege relieved
Belligerents
Israel	Hamas; Palestinian Islamic Jihad; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine; Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades; Popular Resistance Committees
Units involved
Israel Defense Forces Israeli Ground Forces Golani Brigade; Nahal Brigade; 401st Brigade; Paratroopers Brigade; Givati Brigade; Israeli Combat Engineering Corps; 99th Infantry Division; 460th Brigade; 39th Division 179th Armored Brigade; ; 143rd (Gaza) Division 215th Artillery Brigade; ; ; Israeli Air Force Shaldag Unit; ; Israeli Navy; ;	Palestinian Joint Operations Room Al-Qassam Brigades Gaza Brigade Sabra-Tal al Islam Battalion; Daraj wal Tuffah Battalion; Radwan Battalion; Shujaiya Battalion; Zaytoun Battalion; Shati Battalion; ; Central Brigade; ; Al-Quds Brigades; Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades; National Resistance Brigades; Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades; ; Palestinian Security Services Palestinian Police; ;
Casualties and losses
155+ soldiers killed	2+ fighters killed
	~10,000 civilians crushed under rubble (per the Palestinian Civil Defence) ; At least 27 dead from famine

The siege of Gaza City was an engagement of the Gaza war that began on 2 November 2023, when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) surrounded Gaza City, amid the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, which was a counterattack to the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.^[15] Gaza City is the most populated city in the Gaza Strip and the battle started on 30 October 2023, when Israel and Hamas clashed in Gaza City.^[16] According to Oxfam, about 500,000 Palestinians, along with 200 Israelis and other captives, were trapped in a "siege within a siege" in northern Gaza.^[17]^[18]

The siege ended on 19 January 2025 with the implementation of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas earlier that day, and with Hamas retaining control over Gaza City.^[19]^[20]

^ "Iran Update, January 2, 2024". Institute for the Study of War.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Iran Update, January 6, 2024". Institute for the Study of War.
^ "Iran Update, February 16, 2024". Institute for the Study of War.
^ Cite error: The named reference ISW 21 Dec 23 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Iran Update, December 22, 2023". Institute for the Study of War.
^ "Iran Update, December 13, 2023". Institute for the Study of War.
^ "Al-Qassam operation kills 60 Israeli soldiers: Hamas". 3 December 2023.
^ "Iran Newspapers: Al-Qassam operation kills 60 Israeli soldiers". iranpress.com. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
^ "Iran Update, December 10, 2023". Institute for the Study of War.
^ "الجزيرة ترافق الدفاع المدني خلال انتشاله جثامين شهداء في خان يونس".
^ "أنباء عن وفاة المسن عبد الرحمن الدحدوح نتيجة المجاعة في غزة". 4 March 2024.
^ "Girl, 8, dies of starvation and dehydration: Watchdog". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 21 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
^ "at least 15 children die of malnutrition in Gaza". Reuters. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
^ "ضحية حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل .. الطفلة إلهام جحا من من حي التفاح شرق غزة استشهدت اليوم جراء انقطاع الغذاء والدواء اللازم لها حيث تعاني من مرض الشلل الدماغي #خبرني #غزه_تموت_جوعاً ا".
^ "IDF chief: Israeli forces have Gaza city surrounded". The Jerusalem Post. 2 November 2023. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
^ "Live Updates: US boosts military presence in Red Sea as Rafah opens, Israel deepens Gaza incursion – Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. 2 November 2023. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
^ "Half a million civilians caught in northern Gaza "siege within a siege" – Oxfam". Oxfam International. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
^ Najjar, Farah; Stepansky, Joseph (3 November 2023). "Israeli strike hits medical convoy at Gaza hospital gate, officials say". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
^ "How Hamas survived a year of the Israel-Hamas War – analysis". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2025. Hamas has survived because it was never defeated in central Gaza or Gaza City.
^ "Hamas security forces move to swiftly reassert control over Gaza during ceasefire". The Times of Israel. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.

[1] "Iran Update, January 2, 2024". Institute for the Study of War.

[iran-update-january-6-2024-2] "Iran Update, January 6, 2024". Institute for the Study of War.

[3] "Iran Update, February 16, 2024". Institute for the Study of War.

[ISW_21_Dec_23-4] Cite error: The named reference ISW 21 Dec 23 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] "Iran Update, December 22, 2023". Institute for the Study of War.

[6] "Iran Update, December 13, 2023". Institute for the Study of War.

[7] "Al-Qassam operation kills 60 Israeli soldiers: Hamas". 3 December 2023.

[8] "Iran Newspapers: Al-Qassam operation kills 60 Israeli soldiers". iranpress.com. Retrieved 29 June 2024.

[9] "Iran Update, December 10, 2023". Institute for the Study of War.

[10] "الجزيرة ترافق الدفاع المدني خلال انتشاله جثامين شهداء في خان يونس".

[11] "أنباء عن وفاة المسن عبد الرحمن الدحدوح نتيجة المجاعة في غزة". 4 March 2024.

[12] "Girl, 8, dies of starvation and dehydration: Watchdog". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 21 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.

[13] "at least 15 children die of malnutrition in Gaza". Reuters. Retrieved 3 March 2024.

[14] "ضحية حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل .. الطفلة إلهام جحا من من حي التفاح شرق غزة استشهدت اليوم جراء انقطاع الغذاء والدواء اللازم لها حيث تعاني من مرض الشلل الدماغي #خبرني #غزه_تموت_جوعاً ا".

[15] "IDF chief: Israeli forces have Gaza city surrounded". The Jerusalem Post. 2 November 2023. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.

[16] "Live Updates: US boosts military presence in Red Sea as Rafah opens, Israel deepens Gaza incursion – Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. 2 November 2023. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.

[17] "Half a million civilians caught in northern Gaza "siege within a siege" – Oxfam". Oxfam International. 3 November 2023. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.

[convoy-18] Najjar, Farah; Stepansky, Joseph (3 November 2023). "Israeli strike hits medical convoy at Gaza hospital gate, officials say". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.

[:howhamassurvived-19] "How Hamas survived a year of the Israel-Hamas War – analysis". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2025. Hamas has survived because it was never defeated in central Gaza or Gaza City.

[:7-20] "Hamas security forces move to swiftly reassert control over Gaza during ceasefire". The Times of Israel. 20 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.

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