2024 in Israel

Israel entered 2024 amid the war that began after the Hamas-led terrorist attack of October 7, 2023. INSS and the Israel Ministry of Finance described the conflict as the "Iron Swords" war and as a high-intensity, multi-front struggle that affected Israeli life and government finances throughout the year.[2][5]

INSS characterized 2024 as a year of uneven strategic progress, economic decline, fluctuating national morale, renewed social polarization, and severe pressure on Israel's international standing, alongside continued operational cooperation and political tensions with the United States.[6] The institute also established nine task forces to advise Israeli officials on subjects including war strategy and Gaza's postwar governance.[2]

The hostage crisis remained central to public and political life. By the end of 2024, close to 100 hostages were still held by Hamas, including seven U.S. citizens.[7] Repeated failures to secure a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement contributed to protests and divisions within Israeli society.

Israeli ground operations continued throughout 2024. After the initial offensive in northern Gaza, the IDF's 98th Paratroopers Division conducted a four-month campaign around Khan Younis that damaged Hamas's fighting formations and field command. Prolonged combat, Israeli casualties, and the unresolved hostage crisis nevertheless contributed to public frustration.[6]

On January 22, Hamas fired RPGs that ignited explosives in a building near Maghazi, causing its collapse and killing 21 Israeli soldiers. Hamas then destroyed an IDF tank, killing two more soldiers. The incident was described as the IDF's largest single loss of life during the war.[8]

Israel expanded operations toward Rafah during the spring. Prime Minister Netanyahu called the city Hamas's "last bastion," while the planned campaign caused a significant dispute with the United States over civilian protection.[9] Negotiations broke down after Hamas fired rockets near the Kerem Shalom crossing on May 5, killing four Israeli soldiers. Hamas accepted a mediator-backed proposal the next day, but Israel rejected terms requiring a permanent end to the war and proceeded with the Rafah operation.[10]

On April 1, an Israeli airstrike hit vehicles carrying World Central Kitchen aid workers, an incident that heightened concerns about harm to international humanitarian personnel.[10]

On June 8, Israeli forces rescued Noa Argamani, Almog Meir, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv from two locations in Nuseirat. The operation involved the IDF, Shin Bet, and the Yamam police counterterrorism unit. Yamam officer Arnon Zamora was mortally wounded, and the mission was renamed Operation Arnon in his honor.[11] Israeli officers transmitted the message "Ha-yahalomim be-yedenu" — "The diamonds are on hand" — as they withdrew with the hostages.[10] Reported Palestinian casualty estimates ranged from under 100 to more than 270.[8]

On August 31, the IDF recovered the bodies of six hostages from tunnels beneath Rafah: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Ori Danino. They were believed to have been shot shortly before their discovery, and their deaths intensified demonstrations and political divisions over hostage negotiations.[8]

Israeli forces killed Hamas military-wing commander Mohammed Deif during the campaign.[6] Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran on July 31; Israel did not publicly claim responsibility, although foreign reports attributed the operation to it.[8] Yahya Sinwar, who succeeded Haniyeh as head of Hamas's political bureau, was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on October 16.[12] By December 3, the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry reported more than 44,000 Palestinians killed, while approximately 90% of Gaza's 2.1 million residents were estimated to have been displaced.[4]

Hezbollah's attacks and fears of a ground incursion led Israel to evacuate approximately 60,000 residents from northern border communities. A war of attrition continued for much of the year before escalating sharply in September.[6][4]

On July 27, a rocket struck near a soccer field in Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, killing 12 Druze children and injuring more than 40 people. Israeli officials attributed the Iranian-made Falaq-1 rocket to Hezbollah, which denied responsibility.[1][13] Israel killed senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut three days later.[13]

On September 17–18, thousands of pagers and then radios associated with Hezbollah exploded in Lebanon and parts of Syria. A contemporary report counted 11 Hezbollah operatives killed and more than 4,000 people injured at that stage. Israel did not claim responsibility, while foreign reporting attributed the operation to it.[14] Israeli airstrikes subsequently targeted hundreds of Hezbollah leadership and military sites.[4]

An Israeli airstrike in Beirut's Dahiyeh neighborhood killed Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on September 27. Nasrallah had led the organization since 1992.[15] Israeli ground forces entered southern Lebanon at the beginning of October, with Israel stating that the operation was intended to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and enable displaced northern residents to return.[4]

A Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center report recorded 682 Hezbollah-claimed attacks during November, at least 2,400 rockets and more than 60 UAVs launched into Israel, and 13 IDF soldiers killed in southern Lebanon that month.[16]

A ceasefire was announced on November 26 and took effect at 4:00 a.m. on November 27. Its initial 60-day framework called for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, the movement of Hezbollah forces and arsenals north of the Litani River, and deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in the border area.[4][17] Israeli assessments nevertheless anticipated that Hezbollah would try to rebuild with Iranian support.[18]

Iran directly attacked Israel twice during 2024, the first such direct attacks described by the U.S. State Department.[1]

On April 13–14, Iran launched drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles following an April 1 strike near the Iranian embassy in Damascus that killed senior Revolutionary Guard personnel. Globes reported 110 ground-to-ground missiles, 185 drones, and 35 cruise missiles, while the Jewish Virtual Library counted about 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles.[19][20] The United States attributed a 99% interception rate to the joint defensive effort. Four hits at Nevatim air base did not affect operations, while a seven-year-old Bedouin girl was seriously injured by falling shrapnel.[20]

Iran attacked again on October 1. Israeli and U.S. accounts placed the barrage at approximately 180 ballistic missiles, while Iran announced that it had launched 200.[21][4] Some missiles struck civilian sites and air-force bases, but the IDF said no aircraft were hit and operational capability was not impaired.[21]

Israel responded on October 26 with strikes against Iranian air defenses, missile-production facilities, and military bases. The Jewish Virtual Library described an approximately four-hour operation involving more than 100 Israeli aircraft and about 20 targets.[22]

Benny Gantz and his National Unity party left Prime Minister Netanyahu's emergency government in June after demanding a clearer plan for releasing the hostages and ending the war. The war cabinet was dissolved soon afterward.[4][23]

In November, Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and replaced him with Yisrael Katz, while Gideon Sa'ar became foreign minister.[4] Gallant's dismissal occurred amid disputes over war policy, hostage negotiations, and Haredi military service.

In June, Israel's Supreme Court ordered state agencies to take active steps to draft Haredi men after the previous exemption had expired. The Defense Ministry sent 1,000 draft notices in July, and the government announced notices for 7,000 additional Haredim in November.[4][24] The Jewish Review of Books reported that approximately 66,000 Haredi yeshiva students had been eligible for exemptions in 2023, alongside violent protests and a survey indicating that two-thirds of Jewish Israelis favored ending the exemption.[24]

On October 29, the Knesset enacted two laws affecting UNRWA. One barred the agency from operating in Israel, including East Jerusalem, while the other restricted dealings between Israeli officials and UNRWA or entities acting on its behalf. The restrictions were expected to take effect about 90 days later.[1][4]

INSS described a severe deterioration in Israel's standing in international public opinion during 2024, even as close military and intelligence cooperation with the United States continued.[6]

On May 20, the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas leaders Sinwar, Haniyeh, and Deif. The court issued warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Deif on November 21. The warrants stated findings of reasonable grounds and were not criminal convictions. Israel and the United States rejected the action and disputed the court's jurisdiction.[4] The Jerusalem Post characterized the warrants as restricting Netanyahu's international travel and symbolizing Israel's increasing diplomatic isolation.[12]

Gaza ceasefire negotiations repeatedly stalled because Hamas demanded a cessation of hostilities while Israel rejected an agreement requiring a permanent end to the war.[10] The Rafah operation, civilian-protection concerns, and the UNRWA legislation also produced recurring tensions with Washington.[6][9]

Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate counted 134 people killed and 1,277 injured in attacks against Israel during 2024. It recorded attacks from Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, Iraq, Yemen, and Judea and Samaria.[25]

The report counted approximately 15,400 rockets crossing into Israel from Lebanon and 700 from Gaza, causing 55 deaths and 699 injuries. It also recorded 16,300 missile launches, 399 hostile-aircraft incursions, 132 shooting attacks, 41 stabbing attacks, and 26 vehicle-ramming attacks.[25]

The U.S. State Department used different definitions and counted 103 Israelis and foreigners killed in terrorist attacks: 45 inside Israel, 13 hostages killed by Hamas, and 45 people killed by missiles or unmanned aircraft. It also recorded 179 shooting attacks, down from 289 in 2023.[1]

The Ministry of Finance's final report placed Israeli economic growth at 0.9% in 2024, while the Central Bureau of Statistics' first estimate was 1%. GDP per capita fell by 0.3% and business output by 0.6%.[5][26] Public consumption rose by 13.7%, driven partly by a 43.3% increase in defense spending, while overall exports fell by 5.6% and high-tech exports by 36.8%.[26]

Reserve mobilization, restrictions on Palestinian workers, and the departure of foreign workers reduced labor supply, particularly in construction and agriculture. Tourism, aviation, and recreation were also affected.[27]

The budget deficit reached approximately NIS 135.6 billion, or 6.8% of GDP, below the government's revised 7.7% target. Government debt rose to roughly two-thirds of GDP.[5] A JCFA analysis estimated direct military and civilian expenses of approximately NIS 180 billion from the final quarter of 2023 through the end of 2024 and placed the broader cost of the war at about $95 billion, although those figures included projected expenses and were not final audited totals.[27]

Moody's, S&P, and Fitch all downgraded Israel during the year, although its sovereign debt remained investment grade.[5][3] The Jewish Agency reported supporting victims, lone immigrant soldiers, vulnerable populations, and Israeli businesses while continuing Aliyah and absorption programs.[28]

On the eve of Israel's 76th Independence Day, the Central Bureau of Statistics estimated the population at 9.900 million: 7.427 million Jews, 2.089 million Arabs, and 564,000 others. The preliminary estimate excluded foreign workers and was based on the 2008 census because the 2022 census had not yet been incorporated.[29]

At the end of 2024, the population was estimated at 10.027 million, including 7.707 million Jews and others, 2.104 million Arabs, and approximately 216,000 foreign residents. Population growth slowed to 1.1%.[30] Approximately 181,000 babies were born and 51,400 residents died. International migration produced a negative balance of 18,200, with 82,700 residents leaving and 23,800 returning.[30]

The Institute for Jewish Policy Research similarly described an unusually negative migration balance, while cautioning that emigration statistics included people who had left in 2023 and remained abroad for most of the following year. It treated the war's effect on migration as a possible interpretation rather than a proven single cause.[31]

Israel's operations during the second half of 2024 killed senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders and substantially damaged Hezbollah's leadership and military infrastructure. INSS characterized the sequence — including the killing of Mohammed Deif, the strike on Yemen's Hodeida port, the killing of Haniyeh, and operations against Hezbollah — as a military "turnaround," an analytical judgment rather than a neutral measurement.[6]

The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria further weakened the regional position of Iran and Hezbollah and prompted discussion of a possible broader realignment. The ultimate strategic effects remained uncertain at the end of the year.[12]

Despite wartime conditions, Israel recorded its most successful Olympic performance. Its delegation won a record seven medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics and ranked in the top 8% of participating countries.[32] Gold medalist Tom Reuveni and silver medalists Sharon Kantor, Inbar Lanir, Raz Hershko, and the Israeli rhythmic gymnastics team were among the athletes recognized by Israel's Olympic Committee.[32]

The Jewish Agency also continued Aliyah programs and efforts to connect Israel with Jewish communities abroad, while expanding support for communities confronting what it described as a global surge in antisemitism.[28]

Several central statistics and attributions from 2024 remain contested. Gaza casualty totals are presented as figures from the Hamas-controlled health ministry rather than independently adjudicated counts, while estimates from the Nuseirat hostage rescue ranged from under 100 to more than 270 Palestinian deaths.[4][8]

Israel did not publicly claim responsibility for Haniyeh's killing, the pager and radio explosions, or the April 19 strike in Iran, although foreign reporting attributed the operations to Israel.[20][8] Hezbollah denied responsibility for the Majdal Shams attack, while Israel and the United States attributed it to Hezbollah.[1][13]

Projectile totals for Iran's attacks also vary by source and methodology. Accounts of the April barrage ranged from roughly 300 to 330 drones and missiles, while reports of the October attack ranged from approximately 180 to more than 200 ballistic missiles.[1][4] The ICC warrants represented findings of reasonable grounds, not convictions, and were rejected by Israel and the United States.[4]