Understanding October 7: A resource guide to the Middle East conflict

Zivvy has compiled a list of links to help you understand how we got here, the players involved and where this is headed.

Source: Council on Foreign Relations

A year ago, on October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack that sparked intense violence across Israel, Gaza, and the broader Middle East, escalating into a regional conflict that now threatens millions of lives.

This attack, the deadliest against Jews since the Holocaust, marked the start of ongoing violence that shows no signs of stopping. Israel now faces what could become its longest war in its 76-year history.

The initial assault by Hamas led to 1,200 Israeli deaths and 250 kidnappings. Israel's counterattack triggered the deadliest conflict in Gaza's history, making this the most lethal year for Palestinians since 1948, with more than 41,000 deaths, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Now, the fighting has spread beyond Gaza into Lebanon and about a half dozen other areas, disrupting the lives of millions and causing the biggest crisis in the Middle East since the Arab Spring in 2010.

Making sense of the world around us has never been more important. Zivvy put together these resources for you to dig deeper on how we got here, the players involved and where this is headed. 

• Axios reporter Barak Ravid, one of the best sourced journalists on Israel and the Middle East, has this excellent write: How Oct. 7 changed everything.

• Hagar Chemali of Oh My World on YouTube, a former U.S. official who handled the Middle East has this explainer on the conflict between Israel and Lebanon.

• The Council on Foreign Relations provides expert-informed, non-partisan resources and background on the conflict, including a timeline of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a broader look at the impact on the region.  

• There is also a podcast about a potential on a wider war in the region and backgrounders on Hezbollah, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and the impact on the region of the killing of Hezbollah leader Haasan Nasrallah.

Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect that the number of more than 41,000 deaths is according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Here is reporting from Forbes on how these numbers are tallied and why the exact number is uncertain.