Middle East Summer Recap 2025
The beginning of a new school year is upon us and yet after over 700 days, war still rages across the Middle East. This past summer was marked by developments that no one could have imagined.
The brutal continuation of war in the Gaza Strip has brought the total fatality count to over 60,000, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths. At the same time, fifty Israelis remain hostage in the horrific depths of Hamas’s terror tunnels in Gaza. While negotiations for the release of those hostages have persisted throughout the summer, Hamas has maintained its anti-life and pro-terror position, walking away from two ceasefire deals. As these deals keep crumbling under Hamas’s unwillingness to release the hostages and lay down their arms, the strain of war is causing serious fatigue, at all levels, across Israel, Gaza, and the world. Almost two thousand Israeli soldiers have been killed in the line of duty, many of which reservists, leaving behind families, careers, and livelihoods. That’s not to mention the destruction of Gaza, which is being broadcasted like no other war in history. A tragic look into the cost of war, one that most of the general population would otherwise never be exposed to. As Israel navigates the complexity of operating in and around Gaza City, along with national ceasefire protests and negotiations, the next few months will be very decisive.
As Israel begins the next major offensive phase of the war, it is important to understand the preceding series of events that unfolded over the summer. This article aims to briefly recap this summer’s key events in the Israel-Hamas War, in order to better contextualize recent events and forthcoming military action.
Early Summer
On May 4th, a Houthi missile struck the premises of Ben Gurion International Airport. Since October 2023, the Yemenite Houthis, an internationally designated terrorist organization, have been sporadically launching missiles and suicide drones towards Israeli population centers, citing their solidarity with the Gazan people. Typically, these drones and missiles are intercepted by Israeli missile defense systems, however due to technical issues, the missile evaded defenses and struck a field near Ben Gurion’s main terminal. In retaliation, Israel bombed Hodeidah Port in Sanaa, which serves as the Houthi’s main supply port, as well as Sanaa International Airport, leaving it completely destroyed. Since then, the Houthis have conducted periodic small-scale aerial attacks on Israel, with Israel launching targeted airstrikes on key Houthi infrastructure in response. On August 28th, an Israeli airstrike targeted a meeting of prominent Houthi officials, killing their self-proclaimed Prime Minister and additional senior officials.
On the Gazan front, Israel has been working to exert heavy military pressure on Hamas to accept a comprehensive ceasefire proposal. On May 5th, the Israeli government approved plans for Operation Gideon’s Chariots, which commenced on May 16th on the heels of yet another failed ceasefire agreement. The original objectives of the operation included occupying the majority of Gazan territory and relocating much of the strip’s population to designated humanitarian corridors, while delivering a final defeat to Hamas, freeing the remaining hostages and ending the war once and for all. However, by the time the operation had concluded in early August, much of the original objectives remained unmet, with Hamas maintaining strongholds in Gaza City and Khan Younis, threatening to execute the remaining living hostages if Israeli troops approached the areas they were being held. 48 soldiers died during the span of the operation, with only minor accomplishments in destroying Hamas tunnels and buildings to show for it.
Simultaneously, Israel’s aid distribution systems have drawn widespread criticism internationally in recent months, with the UN and individual countries accusing Israel of deliberately inducing a famine in Gaza. Israel has maintained the claim that ample aid has been let into the strip, with substantial quantities being stolen and resold at egregiously inflated prices on the secondary market. In fact, as of reporting in August, almost 90% of aid trucks collected by the UN failed to reach their intended destinations within the strip, instead being looted or hijacked by both Hamas and Gazan civilians. Nonetheless, in response to international outcry, Israel has loosened its grip on aid entry, including the opening of Gazan airspace to allow aid airdrops by foreign countries. Furthermore, the private U.S. and Israeli backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which began operations on May 26th, have reportedly delivered over 165 million meals to Gazan civilians since operations began.
Israel-Iran 12 Day War
Perhaps the most significant of developments this summer was the Israel-Iran 12 Day War, which drastically reshaped Middle Eastern political and military dynamics. On June 12th, after five rounds of unsuccessful negotiations between the U.S. and Iran surrounding the latter’s nuclear ambitions, Israel, citing intelligence that Iran was on the brink of developing nuclear weapons, preemptively conducted a string of targeted attacks across Iran. The Israeli air force and Mossad led the coordinated attack, targeting key military and nuclear installations, air defense systems, along with executing targeted assassinations on key military figures and high-ranking nuclear scientists. The main nuclear sites targeted by Israel were the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities, and the Isfaahan Nuclear Technology Center. In response to the Israeli assault, Iran launched barrages of long range ballistic missiles, striking key population centers such as Tel Aviv, Haifa and Beersheva. On June 16th, just 4 days into the conflict, Israel declared “aerial superiority” over Iran’s capital of Tehran, after systematically disabling much of Iran’s anti-aircraft defenses. Israeli airstrikes continued against Iranian ballistic missile launch sites, nuclear facilities, and other strategic positions, with Iran returning fire with heavy ballistic missile barrages, striking civilian centers across the country. Despite the heavy damage inflicted upon the above-surface portions of Iranian nuclear facilities, the most strategically significant portions of these facilities remained intact, embedded deep below the surface, beyond the reach of Israel’s strongest munitions. In light of this problem, on June 22nd, the U.S. entered the fray in what has become known as Operation Midnight Hammer. Seven U.S. B-2 stealth bombers, equipped with “bunker-buster” bombs able to penetrate deep underground, struck the deeply embedded Fordo and Natanz facilities, while submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles targeted Isfahan and Natanz facilities. The damage dealt by these strikes are believed to have set the Iranian nuclear project back by years. By June 24th, a ceasefire had gone into effect, ending direct conflict after 12 days. The war inflicted a serious blow to Iran’s reputation as a dominant military and political force in the Middle East, exposing key weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, Israel’s aerial strength as well as their deep and sophisticated intelligence network, was on full display to the broader region, cementing them as the region's premier force in those categories.
Late Summer
Following the war with Iran, Israel proceeded with Operation Gideon’s Chariots while simultaneously engaging in hostage release negotiations mediated by Qatar. The IDF defeated the Hamas battalion stationed in Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, and began their first offensive in Deir al-Balah in Central Gaza. Meanwhile, negotiations involving Israel, Hamas, the U.S., and Qatar ensued, but eventually fell through on July 24th. U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said after the meetings that Hamas showed "a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza", with their demands remaining far too unrealistic for Israel to consider.
On August 10th, Israel stirred up more international outcry following a targeted airstrike that killed five Al Jazeera employees. Israel addressed the accusations of purposely targeting journalists, stating that the main target in the attack was an active Hamas member on the terrorist organization’s payroll, simultaneously employed by the Qatari media conglomerate, who coordinated rocket attacks targeting Israeli border towns.
Three days prior, Prime Minister Netanyahu approved plans to occupy Gaza City, coming as a reaction to the latest failed round of hostage release negotiations. Gaza City had been largely untouched by the IDF since the start of the war, and is understood to be Hamas’s last major stronghold, as well as the holding location of the remaining living hostages. The plan has drawn significant backlash from the Israeli opposition, who believe that such an operation further endangers the hostages. The operation, dubbed Gideon’s Chariots II, aims to fulfill the promises made before the first Gideon’s Chariots iteration, namely, seizing Gaza City, freeing the hostages, dismantling Hamas’s weapons, deporting senior Hamas members, demilitarizing Gaza and securing civilian areas, all while preserving the IDF’s operational freedom.
Prior to commencing the ground invasion of Gaza City, Israel attempted to assassinate Hamas’ political leadership situated abroad in Doha, Qatar. After yet another round of stalled hostage negotiations, Netanyahu, intending to put pressure on Hamas to cave to Israeli demands, ordered an air strike targeting Hamas’ political leadership. However, the strike failed to kill the intended targets, and resulted in widespread condemnation against Israel for executing an attack on a foreign country’s soil, especially considering Qatar’s role as mediator between Israel and Hamas.
On September 16th, Israeli ground troops entered Gaza City following a week of airstrikes on the city that targeted high rises and other infrastructure believed to be used by Hamas operatives. The operation is expected to last for months, with 130,000 reservists called up to assist in this major endeavor. Netanyahu hopes that this marks the final blow to Hamas in Gaza, while being able to safely secure the hostages freedom simultaneously. Meanwhile, as the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly continues through the back-half of September, the war in Gaza remains at the forefront of international discussion. On September 21st, the leaders of Britain, Australia, Canada and Portugal moved to formally recognize a Palestinian state, citing a two-state solution as the only path to lasting peace in the region. Israel’s leadership condemned these moves, stating that such recognition only rewards Hamas for their terrorism and makes genuine peace harder to accomplish. Israeli President Isaac Herzog reflected this sentiment in a post on X, stating: “This is a sad day for those who seek true peace.”
Written by Jordy Storfer
