As Israelis were wrapping up the seven-day-long Jewish festival of Sukkot on Saturday, sirens echoed across the country just before dawn, and citizens soon realized it was not a false alarm. A full-fledged surprise attack was being waged from the air, sea and ground by hoards of Hamas militants.
Thousands of missiles fired from Gaza streaked through the sky and began raining down on indiscriminate targets in Israel, sparking terror and leaving hundreds of bodies in the streets of cities and buildings decimated. Simultaneously, hundreds of armed fighters of the terrorist group, many on motorcycles, followed bulldozers that breached fences separating Israel from Gaza and charged into cities, taking Israeli soldiers off guard and gunning down citizens.
The lightning-quick, multi-pronged ambush also included dozens of Hamas militants in motorboats storming Israeli beaches and engaging in fierce firefights with Israeli forces. Other armed Hamas attackers swooped into Israel through the smoke-filled skies on paragliders.
As those under attack rushed to safe rooms and bomb shelters, groups of terrorists infiltrating the county marched into towns and into kibbutz after kibbutz, opening fire on homes and killing Israeli citizens at random. Militants burst into houses, shooting residents begging for their lives and taking others — including women, children and the elderly — hostage, driving the terrified captives back into Gaza as many of them screamed for help.
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from Ashkelon in southern Israel, on Oct. 8, 2023.
Amir Cohen/Reuters
A music festival where hundreds of Israeli young people danced through the night into the break of dawn suddenly became a shooting gallery for the Hamas militants, who arrived in vans with their guns blazing, mowing down 260 partygoers and abducting others.
Hamas leaders are now threatening to kill the hostages one by one and film the executions if their demands are not met.
In one of the hardest-hit kibbutzim, Kfar Aza, near the Gaza border, where ABC News was allowed in on Tuesday, entire Israeli families were slaughtered and bodies of militants killed in the attack remained sprawled in the streets, some next to crashed motorcycles. Nearly every home in Kfar Aza was bullet-riddled, and a gaping hole in a nearby border fence remained open and guarded by Israeli soldiers still engaging in intense firefights with the enemy.
The bodies of at least 1,500 Hamas fighters have been found along the border, killed in chaotic battles since Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Within hours of the attack that shocked the world, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was calling it a “dark day” for his country and declaring war on Hamas. A veteran Israeli military official deemed the assault “our 9/11.”
“We have begun the process of naming and counting the dead, both soldiers and civilians. We are talking about unprecedented numbers, numbers that up until two days ago seemed totally fictional and unimaginable,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesperson for the IDF, told ABC News on Sunday.
As of Wednesday, the death toll in Israel had surpassed 1,200 with many more bodies to count, officials said. Another 2,900 people were injured in Israel. Among the dead are at least 14 American citizens and an undetermined number had been taken hostage by Hamas, President Joe Biden said Tuesday.
In Gaza, at least 950 people have died and 5,000 others have been injured in retaliatory airstrikes by Israeli jet fighters and surface-to-ground missiles since Saturday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday afternoon. At least 260 of the dead in Gaza are children and 230 are women, the health ministry said.
The Hamas attack was launched on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kipper War that pitted Israel against Egypt and Syria.
Here is a timeline of events in the rapidly changing conflict enveloping Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip territory:
A barrage of rockets
Oct. 7, 6:30 a.m. in Israel
Air raid sirens began sounding in Jerusalem around 6:30 a.m. local time, warning citizens of the attack in progress and to immediately take cover. An estimated 2,200 rockets were fired toward southern and central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, by the Hamas militants, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Meanwhile, Hamas claimed at least 5,000 rockets were fired, all landing in southern and central Israel.
One missile slammed into a hospital in the Israeli coastal town of Ashkelon, Israeli officials said.
Palestinians inspect the rubble of a building after it was struck by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, Oct. 8, 2023.
Fatima Shbair/AP
Armed Hamas militants, many on motorcycles, storm blockaded areas of the Gaza Strip, shooting at Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip, officials said. Video footage surfaces of Hamas militants taking Israeli citizens — including mothers, children and the elderly — hostage and taking them across the Gaza border.
In one of its first public messages, the IDF said Saturday morning, “Over the past hour, the Hamas terrorist organization launched massive barrages of rockets from Gaza into Israel, and its terrorist operatives have infiltrated into Israel in a number of different locations in the south.” Videos posted online captured hundreds of Hamas soldiers breaching the Israeli border from Gaza by boat, pickup trucks and even motorized paragliders.
Oct. 7, shortly after the attack begins
Mohammed Deif, commander in chief of the Hamas’ military arm Al Qassam Brigades, releases a video statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
“The Zionist colonial occupation occupied our Palestinian homeland and displaced our people, destroyed our towns and villages, committed hundreds of massacres against our people, killing children, women and elderly people and demolishing homes with their inhabitants inside in violation of all international norms, laws and human rights conventions,” Mohammed Deif said in his statement.
‘Israel is at war’
Oct. 7, about 10:30 a.m. local time
Israeli jet fighters launched retaliatory strikes in Gaza. Video surfaces of a high-rise residential building and the Al-Sousi Mosque in Gaza City being bombed and flattened by Israeli airstrikes
Oct. 7, around 11:30 a.m. in Israel
Netanyahu makes his first public statement, telling his country, “Israel is at war.”
“This is not a so-called military operation, not another round of fighting, but war,” Netanyahu says.
Oct. 7, around 8:30 p.m. ET
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin releases a statement saying he is “closely monitoring” the situation in Israel and extends his condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in Israel.
“Over the coming days, the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism,” Austin said.
An Israeli sodleir prays standing in front of a Merkava tank on the outskirts of the northern town of Kiryat Shmona near the border with Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023.
Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images
Separately, a U.S. defense official said that Austin had a call with his team Saturday morning, including U.S. Centcom Commander Gen. Eric Kurilla. Israel falls under CENTCOM’s area of responsibility.
Oct. 7, around 9:30 a.m. ET
The White House announces that President Joe Biden has been briefed by senior national security officials “on the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.”
Oct. 7, just after 10 a.m. ET
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issues a statement condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel, saying the U.S. will “remain in close contact with our Israel partners.”
“The United States unequivocally condemns the appalling attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israel, including civilians and civilian communities. There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel, and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks,” Blinken said in a statement.
Oct. 7, around 11 a.m. ET
The White House announces that Biden had spoken with Netanyahu, telling the prime minister the U.S. “condemns” Hamas’ assault on Israel.
“I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel. Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation. My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering,” Biden said in a televised statement.
‘We will win’
Oct. 7, around 5 p.m. ET
Netanyahu makes a televised address in Israel, repeating his earlier statement that Israel is at war and adding, “We will win.”
“This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens,” Netanyahu said. “We have been in this since the early morning hours. I convened the heads of the security establishment and ordered — first of all — to clear out the communities that have been infiltrated by terrorists. This currently is being carried out. At the same time, I have ordered an extensive mobilization of reserves and that we return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known. The enemy will pay an unprecedented price. In the meantime, I call on the citizens of Israel to strictly adhere to the directives of the IDF and Home Front Command. We are at war and we will win it.”
30 Israeli police killed in fighting
Oct. 8, around 5 a.m. ET
At least 30 Israeli police officers were killed in the fighting, mainly in Sderot, Israel, where Hamas gunmen took control of the police station.
Israeli officials announce that fighting is ongoing Sunday morning in six places, including Sderot — which sits just 2 miles from the border with Gaza — and that a rocket injured four people on Sunday morning.
Israeli forces cross a main road in their armoured personnel carrier (APC) as additional troops are deployed near the southern city of Sderot on Oct. 8, 2023.
Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images
Oct. 8, around 9 a.m. ET
The Israeli government confirmed that a number of civilians and soldiers have been taken hostage. At least 100 Israeli citizens and soldiers are being held hostage by Hamas fighters, Israel’s Government Press Office said Sunday.
Videos posted online show a packed all-night music festival in a desert in southern Israel near the Gaza border being attacked by rockets and armed Hamas fighters on the ground. The footage showed women and children being dragged away in vehicles and driven back into Gaza.
Israeli rescue service Zaka said at least 260 bodies were removed from the venue of the music festival following the attack.
Blinken says on CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the State Department is trying to confirm reports that Americans are among those killed or taken hostage.
Blinken tells ABC’s “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos that the U.S. has pledged its full support to Israel.
“This is a massive terrorist attack that is gunning down Israeli civilians in their towns, in their homes, and as we’ve seen, so graphically, literally dragging people across the border with Gaza, including a Holocaust survivor in a wheelchair, women and children,” Blinken said on “This Week.”
He adds, “The world should be revolted at what it’s seen.”
Oct. 8, around 1 p.m. ET
Israeli health officials announce that more than 700 people are dead in Israel and over 2,100 others injured. The Palestinian Health Authority said there are 370 people dead in Gaza and 2,200 others injured.
Oct. 9, morning
Air sirens sound in northern Israel, prompting residents to rush to safe rooms. Israel Defense Forces claim at least two rockets were fired toward northern Israel from Lebanon. One of the rockets, according to the IDF, landed in Lebanese territory.
“The IDF neutralized a number of terrorist infiltrators who crossed from Lebanon into Israel. We are defending our country and stand ready on all borders,” the IDF said in a statement Monday posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
IDF helicopter gunships are attacking Lebanese territories, the IDF announces.
The Lebanese Army announces Monday that missiles were fired from Israel in Lebanon.
“The outskirts of the towns of Al-Dhaira and Aita Al-Shaab and other border areas are being subjected to air and artillery bombardment by the Israeli enemy,” the Lebanese Army said in a statement. “The Army Command calls on citizens to take the utmost precaution and caution and not to go to areas adjacent to the border in order to preserve their safety.”
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
Americans killed
Oct. 9, about 6 a.m. ET
At least nine Americans have been confirmed killed in Israel since Saturday as a result of attacks launched by the Hamas militant group, according to an official with the U.S. National Security Council.
“At this time, we can confirm the death of nine U.S. citizens,” the official told ABC News in a statement on Monday. “We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected and wish those injured a speedy recovery. We continue to monitor the situation closely and remain in touch with our Israeli partners, particularly the local authorities.”
Two French citizens are among those killed in Israel, the French Foreign Ministry announces.
One of the American citizens killed was identified as 32-year-old Hayim Katsman, who had been living in Israel, his mother told ABC News.
Hannah Katsman said she initially thought her son had been taken captive, but later learned he had been killed when Hamas militants burst into his home and found him hiding with neighbors in his closet. She said she learned one of the neighbors was released, while her son and another female neighbor were immediately shot dead.
“I’ve been getting so many messages from people who worked with Hayim or who knew him, or who met him during their travels and how warm he was, how open,” Hannah Katsman told ABC News. “He was a very accepting person and a very loyal friend. He had a good sense of humor. He took things in stride.”
Oct, 9, about 8 a.m. ET
The Israel Defense Forces announces its jet fighters struck 130 targets in the Gaza Strip early Monday, many of them in the Al Furqan area, which serves as a hub for Hamas.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday ordered a “complete siege” on Gaza. He said authorities would cut electricity to the region and block fuel and food from entering the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians.
In an interview with ABC News Monday, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said Israel is taking swift retribution for Hamas attacks.
“It is an unprecedented attack,” Conricus said. “And it will be followed by an unprecedented Israeli response against those bloodthirsty animals that have come across from Gaza and attacked our civilians.”
Hamas threatens to kill hostages
Oct. 9, around 1 p.m. ET
Hamas says the group will start killing Israeli hostages one by one and film the executions unless Israel immediately stops shelling homes in Gaza without warning.
In an update on the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas, Israel Defense Forces announces it has obtained information on every Israeli kidnapped and that it has notified 30 families so far.
Oct. 9, just after 1 p.m. ET
The Israel Defense Forces announces it has mobilized 300,000 reserves — the largest and quickest call-up in Israel’s history, according to an IDF spokesman.
Oct. 9, about 4 p.m. ET
President Joe Biden announces that at least 11 Americans are among those who were killed in Israel and that it’s “likely” American citizens are among those being held hostage by Hamas.
“It’s heart-wrenching. These families have been torn apart by inexcusable hatred and violence,” Biden said in a statement. “We also know that American citizens still remain unaccounted for, and we are working with Israeli officials to obtain more information as to their whereabouts. My heart goes out to every family impacted by the horrible events of the past few days. The pain these families have endured, the enormity of their loss, and the agony of those still awaiting information is unfathomable.”
‘Pure, unadulterated evil’
Oct. 10, just after 3 p.m. ET
In an afternoon address from the White House, President Biden said 14 Americans had been killed in the terrorist attacks and that an undetermined number had been taken hostage.
“We now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas,” Biden said. “I’ve directed my team to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts. Because as president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world.”
Biden said the atrocities committed by Hamas fighters included the “slaughter” of men, women and entire families, as well as “stomach-churning reports of babies being killed.”
“There are moments in this life, I mean this literally when the pure, unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world,” said Biden, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “The people of Israel lived through one such moment this weekend.”
Biden added, “We will make sure the Jewish and democratic state of Israel can defend itself today and tomorrow.”
Following Biden’s address, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that at least 20 Americans remain unaccounted for in Israel, but emphasized that not all of them are believed to be Hamas hostages. He said a precise number of U.S. hostages is still being investigated.
Oct. 10, around 4 p.m. ET
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tours southern Israel along the Gaza border, telling soldiers they are moving to “a full-scale response” to the Hamas surprise attack and that he has “removed every restriction.”
“Hamas wanted to see a change in Gaza — the reality is Gaza will make a 180. They will regret [their actions],” Gallant says.
He adds, “We will not allow a reality in which Israeli children are murdered. I have removed every restriction. We will eliminate anyone who fights us, and use every measure at our disposal. Anyone who decapitates citizens, or murders women and Holocaust survivors — will be eliminated.”
Gallant’s comments come as IDF soldiers from the 17th Battalion, with the assistance of aerial fire from a remotely manned aircraft and a combat helicopter, are exchanging fire with a number of terrorists held up in Ashkelon, a coastal city in southern Israel. The soldiers, according to the IDF, killed three terrorists in the industrial area of the city and were continuing to search the area as night fell.
