[7][8] Hamas stated that its attack was in response to Israel's continued occupation, the blockade of Gaza, the expansion of settlements, disregard for international law, as well as alleged threats to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the general plight of Palestinians.

[9][10][11] Following the attack, Israel launched one of the most destructive bombing campaigns in modern history and invaded Gaza on 27 October 2023 with the stated objectives of destroying Hamas and freeing hostages.

[13] The ongoing war has had significant regional repercussions, including attacks by groups aligned with Hamas on U.S. military bases and vessels, and Israel's invasion of Lebanon on 1 October 2024 after an escalation with Hezbollah.

[19] On 24 October, Israeli airstrikes in Daraa Governorate reportedly resulted in the death of eight Syrian soldiers and injuries to seven others, as per Syria's state-run news agency SANA.

[26] On 1 April 2024, senior Quds Force commander of the IRGC, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, was killed by a suspected Israeli airstrike that targeted the consulate annex building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus.

[38] On 31 October, SANA reported that Israeli strikes hit a number of residential buildings in Al-Qusayr, damaging its industrial zone and killing 10 people, including civilians.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based war monitor, claimed the attacks killed four non-Syrian nationals, identified as members of Iranian-backed militias.

[48] On 4 February 2024, a drone struck a training ground in Al-Omar field in Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, which houses US troops, according to the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that these operations aim to curb Hezbollah’s armament through Iranian supply lines passing through Syria.

[60] The United Nations has reported that Israeli construction along the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights has led to violations of the 1974 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Syria.

Satellite imagery analyzed by the Associated Press in September 2024 revealed significant construction projects, including new trenches, paved roads, and barriers along more than 7.5 kilometers of the boundary.

[62] Israeli officials have defended the construction, citing the need to counter potential infiltrations by Iran-backed militias operating in southern Syria.

Baram toured the 210th Division, which oversees the Golan front, and highlighted the creation of a "dynamic and advanced defensive zone" to counter threats from Hezbollah and other Iran-aligned groups.

[63] Despite frequent Israeli airstrikes and ground operations targeting Iranian and Hezbollah-linked assets in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad’s government has largely avoided direct involvement in the broader Israel–Hezbollah conflict.

[citation needed] Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan has accused Syria of daily violations of the ceasefire agreement, including the presence of armed militias within the Area of Separation.

The deaths of Hassan Nasrallah and much of its military leadership, combined with the redeployment of Hezbollah fighters in Syria back to Lebanon, left a large power vacuum.

[64] During the decisive battle of Damascus and subsequent fall of the Assad regime on 7–8 December 2024, Israeli forces initiated military operations in Syria's Quneitra Governorate.