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October 7 attacks

ONGOING2023Gaza envelope / southern Israel3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

## Overview On October 7, 2023, during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launched a coordinated assault from the blockaded Gaza Strip into southern Israel. The attack began with a barrage of at least 4,300 rockets and was followed by cross-border incursions using vehicles, motorcycles, bulldozers, speedboats, and powered paragliders. Militants breached the Gaza–Israel barrier at numerous points, attacking military bases and Israeli communities including Be'eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, Netiv HaAsara, and Alumim. According to an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) report, about 6,000 Gazans breached the border at 119 locations, including roughly 3,800 from Hamas's Nukhba forces, with an additional 1,000 firing rockets from Gaza, bringing the total estimated participants to 7,000.

## Casualties and hostages The attacks killed 1,195 people according to Wikipedia's summary figures, including at least 828 civilians (36 of them children, 71 foreign nationals) and at least 367 members of Israeli security forces; later revisions placed the total near 1,189–1,219 depending on the count date. At least 364 civilians were killed at the Nova (Supernova) music festival near Re'im, the single deadliest site. At least 14 Israeli civilians are reported to have been killed as a result of the IDF's application of the Hannibal Directive. About 250 Israeli and foreign civilians and soldiers were taken hostage into Gaza; by later reporting the number of confirmed hostages was cited as 247. Additional deadly incidents occurred at Kfar Aza (around 62 residents killed, 19 abducted), Be'eri (at least 130 killed, including peace activist Vivian Silver), Ein HaShlosha, the Psyduck music festival, Ofakim, and the Nahal Oz and Re'im military bases.

## Planning, warnings, and intelligence failures Wikipedia's account states that Egypt and Saudi Arabia had reportedly warned Israel of an impending escalation, and that Israeli intelligence had obtained a detailed Hamas attack blueprint more than a year in advance, which was largely dismissed by military and intelligence leadership. Israel's Shin Bet later concluded in an official investigation that it failed to provide warning that could have prevented the attack. Reporting cited from Haaretz and a BBC investigation similarly described repeated internal warnings that were not acted upon by senior IDF officers.

## Reported atrocities Reports of sexual violence and mutilation of Israeli women and girls during the attack were documented by outlets including a New York Times investigation ("Screams Without Words") and a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which found indications of sexual violence attributable to Palestinian forces in some locations; other accounts, including reporting by Haaretz and Al Jazeera, raised questions about specific witness claims and the evidentiary basis for some accounts. Hamas has denied that its fighters were involved in sexual violence. The UN's special envoy on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, reported "reasonable grounds" to believe sexual assaults occurred in multiple locations, while noting her mission was not a full legal investigation.

## Aftermath The attack is described in the source as the deadliest day in Israeli history, and prompted a large-scale Israeli military response in Gaza, beginning what has been termed the Gaza war. Governments of 44 countries denounced the attack as terrorism; some other governments attributed root causes to Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.

Key facts

Victims
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Yaniv Zohar, Vivian Silver, Lior Asulin, Naama Abu Rashed, Eli Ginsberg, Bilha Inon, Roy Edan, Roi Levy, Jayar Davidov, Moshe Ridler, Hayim Katsman, Yonatan Steinberg, Alim Abdallah, Ofir Libstein
Date
2023
Location
Gaza envelope / southern Israel
Case status
ongoing

Case timeline

  1. 2023-09-13

    Five Palestinians killed at the Gaza border; Israel says it found explosives in a shipment and halts exports from Gaza.

  2. 2023-09-29

    Qatar, the UN, and Egypt mediate an agreement between Israeli and Hamas officials to reopen crossing points and de-escalate tensions.

  3. 2023-10-07

    Hamas launches Operation Al-Aqsa Flood: a rocket barrage of at least 4,300 projectiles and coordinated ground incursions into southern Israel, attacking military bases and communities including Be'eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, Netiv HaAsara, Alumim, and the Nova music festival near Re'im; hostages are taken to Gaza.

  4. 2023-10-08

    Palestinian Islamic Jihad says it is holding at least 30 captives taken during the attack.

  5. 2023-10-16

    Hamas states it is holding 250 hostages, saying this was done to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners.

  6. 2023-10-19

    Israeli officials report an additional 100 to 200 people missing.

  7. 2023-11-10

    Israel revises its casualty count from approximately 1,400 to 1,200.

  8. 2023-12-21

    The Wall Street Journal reports mounting evidence of sexual violence based on survivor accounts and witnesses.

  9. 2024-03

    UN special envoy Pramila Patten reports 'reasonable grounds' to believe sexual assaults occurred at multiple locations during the attack.

  10. 2024-05

    Casualty figures further revised using social security data to 1,189 dead, including 810 civilians and 379 security forces.

  11. 2024-06-12

    UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory releases a report finding both Hamas and Israel committed sexual violence and torture, and intentional attacks on civilians.

  12. 2024-07

    Number of people still listed as missing from the attack is reported as down to 1.

  13. 2024-08-06

    IDF confirms peace activist Bilha Inon, previously listed as missing, died at Netiv Ha'asara during the attack.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Hersh Goldberg-Polin

    VICTIM

    American-Israeli civilian taken hostage into Gaza during the attack.

  • Yaniv Zohar

    VICTIM

    Israel Hayom photographer killed at Nahal Oz.

  • Vivian Silver

    VICTIM

    Peace activist killed during the attack on Be'eri; initially believed taken hostage, later confirmed killed.

  • Lior Asulin

    VICTIM

    Former Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. striker killed at the Re'im music festival massacre.

  • Naama Abu Rashed

    VICTIM

    Bedouin-Israeli infant delivered by emergency procedure after her pregnant mother was shot and killed; died 14 hours after birth on October 7, the youngest victim.

  • Eli Ginsberg

    VICTIM

    IDF Lieutenant Colonel, commander of the LOTAR Counter-terrorism Unit School, killed in the attack.

  • Bilha Inon

    VICTIM

    Peace activist listed as missing until August 2024, when IDF confirmed she died at Netiv Ha'asara alongside her husband.

  • Roy Edan

    VICTIM

    Yedioth Ahronoth photographer reported missing after the Kfar Aza attack; body identified ten days later.

  • Roi Levy

    VICTIM

    IDF Colonel, commander of the Multidimensional 'Ghost' unit, killed near kibbutz Re'im.

  • Jayar Davidov

    VICTIM

    Police Chief Superintendent and Rahat police commander, killed engaging militants in Ofakim.

  • Moshe Ridler

    VICTIM

    91-year-old Holocaust survivor from kibbutz Holit; oldest person killed in the attack.

  • Hayim Katsman

    VICTIM

    Israeli peace activist killed in the attack at Holit.

  • Yonatan Steinberg

    VICTIM

    IDF Colonel and commander of the Nahal Brigade, killed near Kerem Shalom.

  • Alim Abdallah

    VICTIM

    Druze IDF Lieutenant Colonel, deputy commander of the 300th 'Baram' Regional Brigade, killed October 9 responding to a related infiltration from southern Lebanon.

  • Ofir Libstein

    VICTIM

    Head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, killed in an exchange of fire with militants.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Gaza envelope / southern Israel

31.3600, 34.5100

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On October 7, 2023, Hamas and allied Palestinian militant groups launched a coordinated rocket barrage and cross-border assault from Gaza into southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking roughly 250 hostages into Gaza.
Where did the crime happen?
Gaza envelope / southern Israel.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: ongoing.
More cases in Israel

Sources

  1. October 7 attackswikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — The New York Timesnews · The New York Times · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — The Guardiannews · The Guardian · 2026-07-07