The Short Answer
On October 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorists broke through the Gaza border and attacked southern Israeli communities, a music festival and army posts. About 1,200 people were murdered — the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust — and 251 people were taken hostage into Gaza. The atrocities, including documented sexual violence, triggered the war in Gaza.
The attack
Early on a Saturday morning during the Simchat Torah holiday, Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israel while some 3,000 terrorists crossed the border fence by land, air and sea. They attacked kibbutzim such as Be'eri, Kfar Aza and Nir Oz, the town of Sderot, and the Nova music festival, where more than 360 young people were killed.
Victims included babies, children, the elderly, foreign workers and Arab Israelis. Families were burned in their homes. A 2024 UN report by the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict found "reasonable grounds to believe" that conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, occurred during the attack.
Why it changed everything
About 1,200 people were killed, most of them civilians, and 251 hostages — from infants to Holocaust survivors — were dragged into Gaza. Proportionally, it was the equivalent of tens of thousands of Americans being killed in a single day.
Hamas leaders openly said they would repeat the attack "again and again." For Israel, it ended any illusion that the terror group could be contained, and made removing Hamas from power a national necessity.
Key Facts
- ~1,200 people killed, most of them civilians
- 251 hostages taken into Gaza
- Deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust
- UN found reasonable grounds of sexual violence
Sources & Further Reading
- October 7 attacks — overview (Wikipedia)
- UN report on conflict-related sexual violence (March 2024) — UN News
- Bring Them Home Now — @bringhomenow on Instagram
- AJC — American Jewish Committee
This answer reflects publicly available information as of October 2026.