Why did Israel launch air strikes and a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip after October 7, 2023?

Israel launched air strikes and a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip following the October 7, 2023, attack led by Hamas. During this assault, militants killed approximately 1,200 people—primarily Israeli civilians—and took more than 240 individuals hostage.12

Israel’s primary war objectives were to dismantle Hamas’s military and governing capabilities and to secure the release of the hostages. The conflict, which became known as the Israel-Hamas War, involved an extensive air campaign followed by a ground invasion aimed at targeting Hamas infrastructure, including a vast network of subterranean tunnels used by the militants.12345

The scale of the October 7 attack, which was the deadliest day for Israel since its independence, prompted the Israeli government to declare a state of war for the first time since 1973. The military operations resulted in widespread destruction and a significant loss of life in the Gaza Strip, leading to intense international scrutiny and domestic pressure regarding the humanitarian impact and the status of the hostages.125