Three years after the October 7, 2023 attack, the Middle East no longer resembles the region that existed before that date.
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What was described as the deadliest attack against Israel since the creation of the state became the starting point for a series of events that reshaped the military and political balance in the region.
The conflict, which began with the war in Gaza and clashes with Hezbollah in Lebanon, expanded further with the open confrontation between Israel and Iran and the involvement of the United States; the consequences were also felt in commercial shipping and international energy markets.
In the early hours of October 7, 2023, Hamas’s Qassam Brigades and other Palestinian groups breached dozens of border points, while thousands of rockets were launched at Israeli territory. Within a few hours, kibbutzim, cities, military facilities and the Nova music festival had come under attack.
About 1,200 people were killed, most of them civilians, while another 251 were taken hostage and transported to Gaza.
For Israel, the attack was not simply a military defeat, but also the collapse of an entire national security concept. Surveillance systems, intelligence and the belief that Hamas could be contained within Gaza proved insufficient in the face of what happened.
Israel’s response was swift. The government led by Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of war and set as its goals the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, as well as the return of the hostages.
On October 27, 2023, the ground offensive in Gaza began, initially in the north and later moving toward the center and south. The clashes and bombardment caused a deep humanitarian crisis; hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to relocate, and Gaza’s healthcare system came under extreme pressure.
In November 2023, Qatar, Egypt and the United States brokered the first significant ceasefire. The agreement led to the release of more than 100 hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, but the halt in fighting lasted only one week.
Moreover, the conflict began to spread across the region. On October 8, 2023, Hezbollah opened fire from Lebanon in support of Gaza. Rockets, drones and Israeli strikes became daily occurrences along the border, forcing tens of thousands of residents on both sides to leave their homes.
That same November, the Houthis in Yemen began attacking ships in the Red Sea, thereby linking the war to one of the main routes of global trade. Major shipping operators began avoiding the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, extending transport times and increasing insurance costs.
During 2024, the confrontation between Israel and Iran came into the open. Following the strike on the Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus on April 1, Iran launched a direct attack against Israel on April 13-14, using hundreds of drones and missiles.
A few days later, Israel responded with a limited strike inside Iranian territory. This broke the taboo on direct confrontation between the two countries.
Later, the crisis took another turn. In July 2024, Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in Tehran. In September, the explosion of thousands of communication devices used by Hezbollah members left dozens dead and thousands wounded.
On September 27, an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel subsequently launched ground operations in southern Lebanon.
In December 2024, Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria fell from power. For Iran, the fall of Damascus represented a major loss, because Syria had served for decades as the main land link between Tehran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Another ceasefire in Gaza took effect in January 2025, but talks on the second phase stalled, and in March Israel resumed extensive military operations.
On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a major campaign against Iran, striking nuclear targets, missile capabilities and senior military commanders. Iran retaliated with ballistic missiles and drones.
On June 22, the United States became directly involved in the conflict and struck Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. The war lasted 12 days.
In October 2025, a new ceasefire agreement in Gaza enabled the release of the last hostages still confirmed to be alive; however, it did not resolve the main political and security issues.
The war also left its mark on international diplomacy. Britain, France, Canada, Australia and other states officially recognized Palestine, while long-standing support for Israel became divided in several Western countries.
On February 28, 2026, the conflict entered another phase: the United States and Israel launched a large-scale joint operation against Iran. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was also killed in the attacks.
The confrontation spread to the Gulf states as well, while Iranian missiles and drones targeted American bases and installations. The Strait of Hormuz became one of the central points of military and economic pressure, with effects on global energy supplies.
Three years after October 7, the effects of the war now extend beyond Israel and Gaza. Hamas has been severely weakened, Hezbollah has lost a considerable part of its leadership, Assad’s regime has been overthrown, and Iran has been struck directly on its own territory.
In Gaza, the destruction and humanitarian crisis continue on a massive scale. According to the data cited in the material, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 175,000 others wounded since the war began.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to face the consequences of the October 7 attack and questions over why its security structures failed to prevent it.
Three years later, what began as an attack from the Gaza Strip against Israel has turned into a conflict affecting the entire Middle East, international relations, maritime transport and global energy markets.
