Hamas Attack on Israel

Setting the scene

Before October 2023, Gaza had been under blockade since Hamas took control in 2007, while Israel and Hamas had fought repeated wars and cross-border escalations. Israeli politics were deeply divided over judicial reform and security policy, and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was largely stalled. Hamas planned an attack that combined rockets, drones, breached border barriers, and assaults on military posts and civilian communities.

What happened

On October 7, 2023, during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, Hamas-led militants crossed from Gaza into southern Israel. They attacked kibbutzim, towns, military bases, and the Nova music festival, killing civilians and soldiers and taking more than 200 hostages into Gaza. Israel responded with a massive military campaign in Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas and recovering hostages.

Why it still matters

The attack triggered the Israel-Hamas war, a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, regional escalation, and global protests over hostages, civilian casualties, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and the future of Israeli-Palestinian politics. It became one of the most consequential Middle East events of the 21st century. Memorable detail: the Nova festival, meant as an outdoor music gathering near Re'im, became one of the attack's deadliest sites.

Background

On October 7, 2023, Hamas and allied militants launched a surprise attack from Gaza into Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking hostages.