We’re covering the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack — and how it has reshaped the Middle East.
Many Israeli families were starting their weekend routines — on a Saturday, the Jewish sabbath, one year ago — when the first signs of trouble appeared. Hamas sent explosive drones and fired thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel.
Soon after, militants smashed through border fences out of Gaza and landed in southern Israel on paragliders. They killed more than 1,100 people and took hundreds more hostage, broadcasting some of the attacks on social media.
The Oct. 7 attack, among the deadliest acts of terrorism in history, has reshaped the Middle East in the year since. In today’s newsletter, I’ll focus on three main changes: First, Israel has weakened its enemies. Second, Israeli attacks have devastated Gaza and its people. Third, the Middle East is on the precipice of a regional war. At the bottom of the newsletter, I’ve also included links to The Times’s coverage of this somber anniversary.
When Israel went into Gaza, it vowed to destroy Hamas, the Iran-backed group that launched the Oct. 7 attack. Israel has not done so, and U.S. officials are skeptical that it ever will. But the incursion into Gaza has nonetheless devastated Hamas. Israel has killed thousands of its fighters and destroyed much of its weapons stockpiles. Israel has also killed many of Hamas’s leaders, including the head of its political wing, Ismail Haniyeh, while he was in Iran. Many of the group’s previous bases of operations, in Gaza, are in ruins.
Israel has also weakened Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group on its northern border. Hezbollah began firing missiles into Israel the day after the Oct. 7 attack, in solidarity with Hamas. The barrages have forced tens of thousands of Israelis out of their homes in the north. In recent weeks, Israel has become much more aggressive toward Hezbollah; through airstrikes and covert operations, it has killed many of the group’s members and leaders, including its head, Hassan Nasrallah.
Together, these successes have reduced the ability of Israel’s enemies to carry out another attack like Oct. 7.
