October 7 attack

On October 7, 2023, Hamas led a coordinated attack on Israel by land, sea, and air from the Gaza Strip. The attack killed about 1,200 people, primarily Israeli citizens, making it the deadliest day for Israel since its independence. More than 240 people were taken hostage during the attack, and in the days that followed Israel launched a war in the Gaza Strip in an effort to rescue them and depose Hamas.

The attack took place on Shemini Atzeret, a Jewish holiday that closes the autumn thanksgiving festival of Sukkot. Many Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were on leave, and the IDF’s attention had been focused on Israel’s northern border, where tensions were flaring with Hezbollah, rather than on the Gaza Strip in the south. It was also the day after the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, whose initial attack by Egypt and Syria had similarly caught Israel off guard on Yom Kippur in 1973.

The October 7 assault began about 6:30 am with a barrage of at least 2,200 rockets launched into Israel in just 20 minutes. During that opening salvo, Hamas used more than half the total number of rockets launched from Gaza during all of 2021’s 11-day conflict. The barrage reportedly overwhelmed the Iron Dome system, the highly successful antimissile defense system deployed throughout Israel, although the IDF did not specify how many missiles penetrated the system. As the rockets rained down on Israel, at least 1,500 militants from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) infiltrated Israel at dozens of points by using explosives and bulldozers to breach the border, which was heavily fortified with smart technology, fencing, and concrete. They disabled communication networks for several of the Israeli military posts nearby, allowing them to attack those installations and enter civilian neighborhoods undetected. Militants simultaneously breached the maritime border by motorboat near the coastal town of Zikim. Others crossed into Israel on motorized paragliders.

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Among the victims, including those who were killed and those who were taken hostage, were families in kibbutzim near the Gaza Strip who were attacked in their homes and attendees of an outdoor music festival. Most were Israeli civilians but also included foreign nationals and dual citizens, prompting several countries to make efforts for the release of their citizens. A March 2024 United Nations report found evidence that some were victims of sexual violence before they were killed. Adding to the trauma was the fact that it was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.