October 7th Massacre/Preface

On Saturday, October 7th, 2023, Hamas together with other terrorist organizations launched a surprise attack from Gaza. The attack started with the launch of at least 3,000 rockets to Israel, as well as incursions. Hamas breached the Gaza-Israel barrier and massacred 1,139 people : 695 Israeli civilians (including 36 children), 71 foreign nationals, and 373 members of the security forces. 250 Israeli civilians and hostages were taken, including women and children. There is also evidence of sexual assaults.

The day, which was labeled as the Black Saturday (Hebrew: השבת השחורה) or the Simchat Torah Massacre (הטבח בשמחת תורה), was labeled as the bloodiest in Israeli history, and the deadliest for the Jews since the Holocaust.

According to several international law and genocide studies experts, Hamas's assault amounted to genocide. Legal and genocide experts have condemned the attack, saying it represents a serious violation of international law. They argue that Hamas carried out these actions with the intent to destroy the Israeli national group. Some commentators point to Hamas's founding charter, which advocates for the destruction of Israel, contains antisemitic language, and, according to certain researchers, implies a call for the genocide of Jews. This has led to suggestions that the 7 October attacks were an effort to fulfill this agenda.

This wikibook is intended to summarize the events that happened during the Black Friday in the communities impacted by this attack.