October 7

On October 7, 2023, a Shabbat that was also the holiday of Simchat Torah, Hamas-led terrorists launched a large-scale invasion from Gaza into southern Israel, breaching the border fence at dozens of points and attacking Israeli towns, houses, kibbutzim, military bases, and the Nova music festival. About 1,200 people were killed, most of them civilians, and 251 people were taken hostage into Gaza. The attackers carried out killings, kidnappings, rape, arson, and other atrocities across Israeli communities. It was the deadliest single day for Jews since the Holocaust and triggered Israel's war against Hamas, with the stated goals of destroying Hamas's military capabilities and bringing the hostages home.