These pictures show how the war between Israel and Hamas has escalated since the shocking surprise attack a week ago.

Hamas stormed through towns in southern Israel, after breaching the border barrier with Gaza in multiple locations.

The attackers gunned down civilians and abducted some 150 people – including men, women and children – in the assault on 7 October.

Israeli forces have since put Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, under a total siege and launched round-the-clock airstrikes that have levelled entire city blocks.

Israel-Gaza latest: ‘Bodies of hostages’ found

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Israeli police evacuate a woman and child from a site hit by a rocket in Ashkelon, Israel. Pic: AP

An emergency personnel works to extinguish the fire after rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from the city of Ashkelon, Israel October 7, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Emergency personnel work to extinguish a fire after rockets are launched from Gaza, in Ashkelon, Israel

Rockets are fired toward Israel from Gaza, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
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Rockets are fired towards Israel from Gaza. Pic: AP

A woman stands in a damaged room after rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, Israel October 7, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
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A woman stands in a damaged room after rockets were launched from Gaza, in Ashkelon, Israel

A building is ablaze following rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 7, 2023. REUTERS/Itai Ron
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A building ablaze following rocket attacks from Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel

Palestinians celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis southern Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations by air, land, and sea and catching the country off-guard on a major holiday. (AP Photo/Hassan Eslaiah)
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Palestinians celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza fence east of Khan Younis. Pic: AP

Gaza has been sealed off from food, water and medical supplies as well as placed under a virtual total power blackout.

Palestinian militants have fired thousands of rockets into Israel since the conflict erupted.

Israeli soldiers work to secure residential areas following a mass-infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel October 7, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
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Israeli soldiers work to secure residential areas following a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel

07 October 2023, Israel, Ashkelon: People try to extinguish fire on cars following a rocket attack from Gaza. Palestinian militants in Gaza unexpectedly fired dozens of rockets at Israeli targets early on Saturday, the Israeli army said. Photo by: Ilia Yefimovich/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
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People try to extinguish fire on cars following a rocket attack from Gaza in Ashkelon, Israel. Pic: AP

Explosions over Gaza City on Sunday. Pic: AP
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Explosions over Gaza City. Pic: AP

Rockets are fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip. Pic: AP
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Rockets are fired towards Israel from Gaza. Pic: AP

Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Gaza, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
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Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Gaza

Palestinians inspect the ruins of Watan Tower, which was destroyed in Israeli strikes, in Gaza City October 8, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Palestinians inspect the ruins of Watan Tower, which was destroyed in Israeli strikes, in Gaza City

On Saturday, the Gaza Health Ministry said 2,215 people had been killed there, including 724 children and 458 women.

The Hamas assault killed more than 1,300 Israelis – most of them civilians – and roughly 1,500 Hamas militants were killed during the fighting, the Israeli government said.

Rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel, in Gaza
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Rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel

Israeli soldiers scan an area while sirens sound as rockets from Gaza are launched towards Israel, near Sderot, southern Israel, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
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Israeli soldiers scan an area while sirens sound as rockets from Gaza are launched towards Israel, near Sderot, southern Israel

A general view shows smoke as it rises following Israeli strikes in Gaza, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
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Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Gaza

Smoke and flames rise following Israeli strikes in Gaza, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
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Smoke and flames rise following Israeli strikes in Gaza

Rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel, in Gaza October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
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Rockets are fired from Gaza towards Israel

Pic: Cover Images/AP
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Heavy bombardment in Gaza. Pic: AP

A week on from the wide-ranging Hamas attack, Palestinians scrambled to flee northern Gaza after Israel ordered nearly half the population to flee south and carried out limited ground forays into the territory.

Israel renewed calls on social media and in leaflets dropped from the air for some one million residents to move south, while Hamas urged people to stay inside their homes.

Read more:
Why Israel is braced for Hezbollah attack from Lebanon
How negotiators will be working to free Hamas hostages

Pic: AP
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Israeli soldiers arrive at Sderot, a town close to Gaza. Pic: AP

Pic: AP
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Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City. Pic: AP

Pic: AP
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A Palestinian walks through the destruction by Israeli bombing in Gaza City. Pic: AP

Pic: AP
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Destruction in the Karama neighbourhood following Israeli bombing in Gaza City. Pic: AP

An Israeli mobile artillery unit fired a shell from southern Israel towards the Gaza Strip. Pic: AP
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An Israeli mobile artillery unit fires a shell from southern Israel towards Gaza. Pic: AP

Pic: AP
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Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. Pic: AP

Israel’s raids into Gaza on Friday were the first indication troops had entered the territory since it began its bombardment in retaliation for the Hamas massacre.

Israel has called up some 360,000 reservists and massed troops and tanks along the border ahead of an expected land offensive as the war was set to escalate yet again.

“We will destroy Hamas,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Friday night.

Pic: Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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Israel’s Iron Dome intercepts missiles launched from Gaza. Pic: Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Flares, fired from the Israeli side, burn in the sky as seen from Ramyah near the Lebanese-Israeli border, in southern Lebanon
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Flares, fired from the Israeli side, burn in the sky as seen from Ramyah near the Lebanese-Israeli border

Israeli soldiers on a tank near the Israel-Gaza border. Pic: AP
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Israeli soldiers on a tank near the Israel-Gaza border. Pic: AP

Israeli soldiers take position near Israel's border with Gaza
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Israeli soldiers take position near the border with Gaza

Palestinians evacuate a wounded youth after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)
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Palestinians evacuate a wounded youth after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza. Pic: AP

An Israeli soldier steps over personal belongings near a home, following a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Kibbutz Beeri in southern Israel, October 13, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
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An Israeli soldier steps over personal belongings near a home in Kibbutz Beeri in southern Israel

Mourners join funeral for Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah killed in Israeli shelling in Lebanon
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Mourners join the funeral for Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, who was killed in Israeli shelling in Lebanon

On Saturday, Mr Netanyahu told troops preparing at the Gaza border that the “next stage” of Israel’s response was coming.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with soldiers in southern Israel ahead of an expected ground offensive against Hamas.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with soldiers in southern Israel ahead of an expected ground offensive against Hamas

A ground assault into densely populated Gaza would likely lead to even higher casualties on both sides in brutal house-to-house fighting.