What happened
Israel has reported that approximately 4,000 of the 6,000 terrorists who invaded the country during the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, have been killed. Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the Israeli military will continue to pursue the remaining perpetrators, including those who carried out the massacre and those who helped plan it.
A joint IDF-Shin Bet unit, known as NILI, has been tracking down individuals who participated in the attack, using evidence gathered during and after the massacre to identify, kill, or capture them. The unit has maintained a list of suspected perpetrators and has been working to hold them accountable.
Israeli forces have also been targeting senior Hamas commanders involved in planning the assault, including Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar, who have all been killed in Israeli operations. Most recently, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, one of the last surviving senior members of Hamas' military leadership, was killed in May 2026.
The October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people in Israel, with 251 others abducted into Gaza. The attackers targeted civilians at the Nova music festival and in several communities, killing entire families and burning homes. There were also reports of sexual violence against women and men during the attack.
The final 20 living hostages were released in October 2025, after more than two years in captivity, and the remains of the final hostage, Israeli police officer Ran Gvili, were recovered and returned to Israel in January 2026.
