On October 7, 2023, a major and tragic event occurred: Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip in what was the first large-scale invasion of Israeli territory since 1948. The attacks began with a barrage of at least 4,300 rockets and involved militants breaching the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking military bases and communities, resulting in a massacre that killed approximately 1,195 people including civilians, security forces, and foreign nationals. Dozens of civilians and soldiers were also taken hostage by Hamas. This day was described as the bloodiest in Israel’s history and the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust by several Western figures. It triggered a prolonged conflict and widespread international condemnation of the attacks as terrorism.
Other historical events on October 7 include the start of the War in Afghanistan in 2001, when American and British air strikes began against Taliban and Al Qaeda targets, and the proclamation of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, but the 2023 event involving Hamas is the most notable recent occurrence on this date.
