Hamas invasion of Israel on 7 October 2023.
7 October 2023. At about 6:30am Hamas militants launched an estimated 2,200 rockets towards southern and central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, from the Gaza Strip.
Armed Hamas terrorists, many on motorcycles, invaded border areas, shooting at and slaughtering people in kibbutzim and small towns.
Other militants stormed beaches in Israel on motorboats. And some paraglided into Israel, launching a barbaric attack at an open-air music festival that had been billed as a celebration of “unity and love.”
Video footage surfaces of Hamas militants taking Israeli citizens – including mothers, small children and the elderly – hostage and carrying them across the Gaza border.
Mohammed Deif, commander in chief of Hamas’ military arm, Al Qassam Brigades, releases a video statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
8 October 2023. Reports stated that the death toll in Israel due to the Hamas attack had exceeded 700, with over 2,200 injured. This was later updated to more than 1,200 people killed in Israel, with 6,900 others injured.
9 October 2023. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant reported that he had ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, with the military cutting off access to food.
9 October 2023. Israeli aircraft conducted strikes on the Gaza Strip on the night of 8-9 October to “devastate the capabilities of the Hamas terror group“. The military bombed the homes of commanders and militants.
9 October 2023. Hamas says it will start killing Israeli hostages one by one, threatening to film the executions, unless Israel immediately stops shelling Gaza without warning.
10 October 2023. The Israeli Defence Forces said that they had struck more than 200 targets in the Gaza Strip, during the night of 9-10 October 2023.
10 October 2023. Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, claimed that the group is open to discussing a possible truce with Israel, as it has “achieved its targets“.
Hamas claimed that they were holding over 100 Israeli hostages. Israeli officials have said that Hamas is believed to be holding 236 hostages in Gaza.
10 October 2023. The Israeli military said that about 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants were found on Israeli territory after their invasion into Israel.
13 October 2023. The IDF called for “all residents of Gaza City to evacuate their homes” and “move south for their protection.”
22 November 2023. Hamas agreed to release 50 hostages, women and children, over the course of a four-day pause in fighting, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel.
78 Israeli and dual-national hostages were released as part of the exchange deal that began on 24 November 2023, Israel had released 240 Palestinian prisoners, all women or teenagers.
30 November 2023. Fighting restarted after Hamas launched a missile into Israel. Israeli warplanes resumed strikes in Gaza.
Other Reports in November 2023.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says at least 14,532 people have been killed in Gaza, and more than 35,000 injured, caused by Israel’s retaliation following the Hamas invasion into Israel.
Israel says that many of those would be Hamas militants.
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