“Hamas deliberately targeted Israeli civilians during the October 7 attack”
Hamas operatives went door-to-door in civilian kibbutzim and attacked a music festival — killing over 1,200 civilians including children. This is documented by GoPro footage, survivor testimony, and Hamas's own statements.
What happened
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a coordinated land, sea, and air attack on southern Israel. Operatives breached the security fence at multiple points, entered civilian communities, and killed over 1,200 people — the largest single-day massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust.
The attack targeted:
- Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Be'eri, Nir Oz, and others: Residential communities where entire families were killed in their homes
- Nova music festival: An outdoor trance music event at Kibbutz Re'im where 364 young people were killed; hundreds more were taken hostage or wounded
- Military bases: Including the IDF Nahal Oz observation unit where 15 female soldiers were killed
Was it deliberate?
Hamas operatives wore GoPro cameras that recorded the attacks from their own perspective. The footage — reviewed by journalists, governments, and international organizations — shows operatives entering civilian homes, killing families, and taking hostages. Hamas leaders, including Ghazi Hamad, publicly stated that October 7 would be repeated "again and again."
Hamas's political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh described the attack as "a holy act" in post-attack statements. The group's Gaza military chief Mohammed Sinwar (killed in a strike on the European Hospital in May 2025) had operational command.
International findings
UN Special Representative Pramila Patten's mission confirmed sexual violence against civilians as part of the attack. The UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for immediate release of hostages. Virtually no credible international body disputes that Hamas deliberately targeted and killed civilians on October 7.
Scale and intent — side by side
October 7 (Hamas): about 770–840 civilians killed in one day. Intent to kill civilians is documented — in Hamas's written orders ("kill as many people as possible"), its fighters' own footage, and its leaders' statements.
Gaza (Israel): civilian deaths in the tens of thousands over two years (the civilian share is disputed, roughly 60% to 83%). Israel's stated aim is to destroy Hamas; warnings and large aid volumes are documented, and several incidents have been acknowledged by the IDF as errors. Intent to kill civilians is alleged, and has not been established by any court.
Both facts matter, and neither cancels the other. Every party's alleged crimes, on one scale: War Crimes Ledger.