Wars of Israel connects the history of wars, battles and military operations with the decisions and circumstances that shaped them. The main reference library begins around 1900 and follows events involving the Jewish community of the Land of Israel and the State of Israel through successive conflicts. Use the timeline, index and maps to find an event, then read its background and consequences. Alongside the historical records are current reporting, analysis, practical reading guides and a small ancient-history section that distinguishes biblical narratives from historical and archaeological evidence.
Search every war, battle and operation in the index by name, year, place or type. 130 wars, battles and operations in the index
Follow events from the late Ottoman period onward. Select a period to explore it on the timeline.
News
An official PA commission is mobilizing attendance for an “olive harvest” event in Deir Jarir, with a call for the IDF to prevent a confrontation in advance.
WarFebruary 28, 2026 to ongoing
The war Israel and the United States opened against Iran on February 28, 2026, which killed Ali Khamenei and brought about 650 ballistic missiles on Israel; the April 8 ceasefire collapsed between Washington and Tehran in July.
WarJune 13, 2025 to June 24, 2025
The 12-day war of June 13 to 24, 2025: Israel struck Iran's nuclear program, missile forces and commanders, Iran fired about 550 ballistic missiles at Israel, and the United States bombed Fordow.
WarOctober 8, 2023 to November 27, 2024
A 14-month war on Israel's northern border that Hezbollah opened on October 8, 2023, which became an Israeli offensive in September 2024, killed Hassan Nasrallah and ended with a ceasefire on November 27, 2024.
WarOctober 7, 2023 to ongoing
The war that began with the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 and was fought mainly in the Gaza Strip. A ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025 and all living hostages were freed, but the war has not formally ended.
WarJuly 12, 2006 to August 14, 2006
Thirty-four days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, triggered by a cross-border raid on July 12, 2006 and ended by UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Close to 4,000 rockets struck northern Israel.
AttackOctober 7, 2023 to October 10, 2023
The Hamas-led assault from Gaza on army posts and more than twenty communities in southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed, according to Israeli official figures, 251 were taken hostage, and the attack opened the Gaza war.
Military operationJuly 8, 2014 to August 26, 2014
A 50-day Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2014, combining an air campaign with a ground push against Hamas tunnels, and the longest and deadliest Israel-Hamas round before 2023.
Military operationJune 7, 1981
On June 7, 1981, eight Israeli F-16s escorted by F-15s destroyed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor near Baghdad. The Security Council condemned the strike, which became the founding case of the Begin doctrine.
Military operationJune 27, 1976 to July 4, 1976
After Air France Flight 139 was hijacked to Uganda, Israeli commandos landed at Entebbe on the night of July 3 to 4, 1976, and freed 102 of the 106 hostages. Yonatan Netanyahu and three hostages were killed.
BattleOctober 6, 1973 to October 9, 1973
In the first four days of the Yom Kippur War, Israel's 7th Armored Brigade held the northern Golan between Mount Hermonit and Booster ridge against a far larger Syrian armored force, preventing a breakthrough toward the Galilee.
BattleJune 6, 1967
A four-hour night battle on June 6, 1967, for a fortified Jordanian post in north Jerusalem, one of the hardest of the Six-Day War. Thirty-six paratroopers and 71 Jordanian soldiers were killed.
Guides
Israel's military history is easier to follow once it is divided into periods. This guide explains the eight periods used on Wars of Israel and what changed at each turning point.
Guides
The Israel Defense Forces did not appear from nothing in May 1948. This guide follows the organizations that came before it and the hard choices that merged them.
Guides
Few states have had as many kinds of boundary as Israel. This guide explains each line on the map, when it was drawn and what status it holds.
Guides
A military operation's name is chosen in the army, a war's name in the government, and the public often chooses a third. This guide explains how each works.
Analysis
Israel entered October 7, 2023 with a doctrine built on deterrence, intelligence warning and short wars. Three years later it holds buffer zones in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria and strikes preemptively far beyond them.
Analysis
The November 2024 ceasefire was meant to push Hezbollah north of the Litani and return Israel to the border. Two years later Israel holds more of south Lebanon than before, and Hezbollah still has its weapons.
Articles about organizations, services and projects connected to history, heritage and research.
Partner content
Books, maps, photographs and recordings can illuminate different sides of a war. A focused question helps make the National Library's resources useful.
Partner content
The Palmach Museum follows a group of recruits through the organization's story. Here is how to prepare for a visit and connect the experience with further research.
Partner content
Yad Ben-Zvi Press offers routes into the society surrounding Israel's wars. Its catalog can help readers move from a broad interest to a focused historical question.
