The Israel-Hamas war: Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel

Gone quiet · last story May 12, 2026

What this arc covers

Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 and the days that followed: the rockets and the fighters who crossed from Gaza, the killings in kibbutzim and at the Nova music festival, the soldiers and civilians taken hostage, the Americans and other foreigners among the dead, Israel's declaration of war, and the reaction around the world; and what was established about the attack later: the findings of sexual violence during it and against hostages, a rights group's finding of war crimes, and the US charges against Hamas leaders.

Earliest story we hold Oct 7, 2023 · 50 stories · 181 independent sources (counted once each) · 948 days

Part ofHamasIsraelGaza CityJoe BidenAntony BlinkenBenjamin NetanyahuIranInternational DOI Foundation

Part of The Israel-Hamas war

  1. The warnings, failures and inquiries around the October 7 attackOct 7, 2023 – Sep 8, 2026
  2. Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on IsraelThis arcOct 7, 2023 – May 12, 2026
  3. Israel's offensives in Gaza and the civilian tollOct 7, 2023 – Sep 16, 2025
  4. The hostages and the cease-fire talks, 2023-2025Oct 7, 2023 – Oct 5, 2025
  5. US backing for Israel and the pressure over its conductOct 7, 2023 – Sep 26, 2025
  6. The protests in the US over the warOct 8, 2023 – Mar 31, 2024
  7. Campus protests and universities' responsesOct 9, 2023 – Sep 21, 2026
  8. Hunger, famine and the fight over aid to GazaOct 9, 2023 – Jul 23, 2026
Show remaining 8 arcs
  1. Israel's wartime unity government and Gantz's break with NetanyahuOct 11, 2023 – Jun 17, 2024
  2. International legal cases and war-crimes allegationsOct 15, 2023 – Jun 23, 2026
  3. The push to recognize a Palestinian stateDec 12, 2023 – Sep 16, 2026
  4. Trump's plan to take over Gaza and move Palestinians outJan 26 – Sep 18, 2025
  5. The Trump administration's bid to deport student activistsMar 9, 2025 – Jul 21, 2026
  6. The fight over Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar's removalMar 16 – Mar 31, 2025
  7. The activist boats that tried to break Gaza's blockadeMay 2, 2025 – May 20, 2026
  8. Trump's peace plan, the 2025 cease-fire and what followedSep 25, 2025 – Sep 27, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

May 122026Oct. 7 attackers could face death penalty after Israel approves war crimes tribunal9 articles · 9 independent sources
2 left, 2 center, 0 right
May 12– 132026First on CNN: New report details ‘systematic’ rape and sexual violence during Hamas’ Oct 7 attack on Israel14 articles · 13 independent sources
1 left, 1 center, 4 right
Sep 3– 42024US charges Hamas leader, other militants in connection with Oct. 7 massacre in Israel73 articles · 51 independent sources
7 left, 13 center, 8 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Oct 7 – 9, 2023Israel declares war, bombards Gaza and battles to dislodge Hamas fighters after surprise attack - Hawaii Tribune-Herald207 articles · 80 independent sources
  2. Oct 7 – 10, 2023What is Hamas and what is it fighting for?100 articles · 52 independent sources
  3. Oct 7 – 13, 2023Day 5 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Oct. 1176 articles · 34 independent sources
    1. Oct 7, 2023Hamas attack on Israel: News and updates
    2. Oct 9, 2023Day 1 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Oct. 7
    3. Oct 11, 2023Hamas and Israel at war: what we know on day 6
  4. Oct 8 – 9, 2023At least 11 Americans killed in surprise attacks against Israel, Biden says75 articles · 29 independent sources
  5. Oct 10 – 16, 2023Israel is at war with Hamas. Here's what to know97 articles · 39 independent sources
    1. Oct 10, 2023Israel is at war with Hamas. Here’s what to know
    2. Oct 13, 2023Israel-Hamas war: Thousands of Gazans flee from north – DW
  6. Mar 4 – 5, 2024U.N. envoy says ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe Hamas committed sexual violence on Oct. 737 articles · 32 independent sources
  7. Sep 3 – 4, 2024US charges Hamas leader, other militants in connection with Oct. 7 massacre in Israel73 articles · 51 independent sources

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Oct 2023Apr 2024Oct 2024Apr 2025Nov 2025May 2026

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Oct 2, 2023224016308
Oct 9, 2023236622582
Oct 16, 2023313763
Oct 23, 20231113
Oct 30, 202347328
Nov 13, 20232128
Dec 4, 202386532
Dec 11, 20230033
Feb 19, 202413615
Mar 4, 2024117734
Mar 11, 202427219
Mar 25, 202412511
Jul 15, 20241219
Sep 2, 2024713867
May 11, 202633422

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

25% left · 60% center · 15% right of 181 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 50 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. October 2023

    Oct 7Biden condemns the ‘appalling assault’ by Hamas as Israel’s allies express anger and shock6 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 1 right
  2. Oct 7Hamas Takes Israeli Soldiers, Civilians As Prisoners Of War5 articles · 3 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 1 right
  3. Oct 7– 12Latest Death Tolls in Israel and Gaza58 articles · 19 independent sources
    1 left, 9 center, 4 right
  4. Oct 7Hamas terrorism in Israel: Western leaders ‘strongly condemn’ attacks10 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 3 right
  5. Oct 7– 9Israel war: Gaza sealed off after incursion by Hamas, death toll rises to nearly 1,600 on both sides41 articles · 18 independent sources
    3 left, 9 center, 2 right
  6. Oct 7– 13Day 5 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Oct. 1176 articles · 34 independent sources
    9 left, 13 center, 5 right
  7. Oct 7– 9Israel declares war, bombards Gaza and battles to dislodge Hamas fighters after surprise attack - Hawaii Tribune-Herald207 articles · 80 independent sources
    16 left, 26 center, 11 right
  8. Oct 7– 10What is Hamas and what is it fighting for?100 articles · 52 independent sources
    11 left, 19 center, 8 right
  9. Oct 7– 8American Hostages Were Taken in Hamas Assault, Israel Minister Says8 articles · 7 independent sources
    3 left, 3 center, 1 right
  10. Oct 8– 10Israel retakes Gaza border areas as war death toll mounts13 articles · 9 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 1 right
  11. Oct 8– 9Desert horror: Music festival goers heard rockets, then Gaza militants fired on them and took hostages11 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
  12. Oct 8– 9At least 11 Americans killed in surprise attacks against Israel, Biden says75 articles · 29 independent sources
    0 left, 13 center, 8 right
  13. Oct 8– 10Israeli survivors recount terror at music festival, where Hamas militants killed at least 26041 articles · 19 independent sources
    2 left, 7 center, 3 right
  14. Oct 8– 99 US citizens dead in Israel conflict, US National Security Council says12 articles · 9 independent sources
    1 left, 5 center, 0 right
  15. Oct 8Antony Blinken: U.S. is working to verify reports Americans are among the dead in Israel and being held hostage by Hamas19 articles · 12 independent sources
    3 left, 5 center, 2 right
  16. Oct 8– 11Corpses and kids’ bikes, burned homes and death in kibbutz where Hamas butchered 10025 articles · 18 independent sources
    2 left, 5 center, 7 right
  17. Oct 9Brandeis prof. describes hearing daughter's killing, saving grandson in Israel violence8 articles · 5 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 2 right
  18. Oct 9– 12US death toll in Israel-Hamas war rises to 22: Officials34 articles · 24 independent sources
    4 left, 11 center, 6 right
  19. Oct 9– 10IDF says Gaza border finally sealed, bodies of 1,500 terrorists found inside Israel5 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 1 right
  20. Oct 9– 1630 Americans dead, 13 missing in Israel-Hamas War, State Department says52 articles · 23 independent sources
    2 left, 11 center, 8 right
  21. Oct 10– 16Israel is at war with Hamas. Here's what to know97 articles · 39 independent sources
    9 left, 13 center, 3 right
  22. Oct 10– 12Israeli official says government cannot confirm babies were beheaded in Hamas attack15 articles · 14 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 5 right
  23. Oct 10– 12Biden: Hamas attacks ‘the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust’30 articles · 14 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 0 right
  24. Oct 11– 12Thai death toll in Israel-Gaza conflict rises to 21: PM6 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right
  25. Oct 11– 12Biden confirms he saw photos of Israeli children beheaded by Hamas15 articles · 14 independent sources
    3 left, 1 center, 8 right
  26. Oct 11Israeli village near the Gaza border lies in ruin, filled with the bodies of residents and militants9 articles · 9 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 0 right
  27. Oct 11– 12His parents shielded him from gunfire as Hamas fighters attacked. He survived. They did not5 articles · 5 independent sources
    2 left, 0 center, 2 right
  28. Oct 12Secretary of State Antony Blinken says 25 Americans were killed in Hamas attack as he meets with Netanyahu10 articles · 8 independent sources
    0 left, 4 center, 2 right
  29. Oct 12After a hard fight to clear militants, Israeli soldiers find a scene of destruction, slain children - The Daily Reporter7 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right
  30. Oct 13– 14‘Top secret' Hamas documents show that terrorists intentionally targeted elementary schools and a youth center10 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 3 right
  31. Oct 15An Arab paramedic who treated Israelis injured by Hamas militants is remembered as a hero5 articles · 5 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right
  32. Oct 15Israeli rabbis work around the clock — even on the Sabbath — to count the dead from Hamas attack7 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 1 right
  33. Oct 17– 19How volunteer guards foiled a carefully planned Hamas attack on one kibbutz8 articles · 6 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right
  34. Oct 17– 20Evidence shows Hamas militants likely used some North Korean weapons in attack on Israel35 articles · 26 independent sources
    2 left, 7 center, 5 right
  35. Oct 22– 23Israel shows footage of Hamas killings ‘to counter denial of atrocities'5 articles · 4 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right
  36. Oct 30Family of Shani Louk, who was caught up in Hamas rampage, confirm she is dead25 articles · 19 independent sources
    4 left, 5 center, 3 right

  37. November 2023

    Nov 4Witness to a massacre: Israeli festival survivor returns to site of Hamas rampage11 articles · 8 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 0 right
  38. Nov 14Canadian peace activist Vivian Silver confirmed killed in Hamas attacks10 articles · 10 independent sources
    2 left, 1 center, 2 right

  39. December 2023

    Dec 4– 6'Widespread' sexual and gender-based crimes committed during Hamas attack, Israeli officials say17 articles · 14 independent sources
    4 left, 3 center, 3 right
  40. Dec 5– 6Biden calls world to ‘forcefully condemn’ sexual violence by Hamas10 articles · 9 independent sources
    3 left, 2 center, 2 right
  41. Dec 10– 11Blinken calls sexual violence inflicted by Hamas ‘beyond anything I’ve seen’9 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 4 right

  42. February 2024

    Feb 21– 22Sexual assaults carried out ‘systematically’ during Hamas attack, Israeli report says16 articles · 15 independent sources
    1 left, 3 center, 6 right

  43. March 2024

    Mar 4– 5U.N. envoy says ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe Hamas committed sexual violence on Oct. 737 articles · 32 independent sources
    11 left, 7 center, 7 right
  44. Mar 12U.S. Citizen Itay Chen Died In Oct. 7 Hamas Attack On Israel, White House Says13 articles · 11 independent sources
    2 left, 4 center, 2 right
  45. Mar 12UN envoy: Finding that some hostages were victims of sexual violence doesn't justify Israeli attacks7 articles · 7 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
  46. Mar 27Israeli woman who was held hostage by Hamas speaks out on her abduction and sexual assault in Gaza11 articles · 11 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 5 right

  47. July 2024

    Jul 17Hamas-led groups committed ‘numerous war crimes’ on October 7, rights group says10 articles · 10 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 1 right

  48. September 2024

    Sep 3– 4US charges Hamas leader, other militants in connection with Oct. 7 massacre in Israel73 articles · 51 independent sources
    7 left, 13 center, 8 right

  49. May 2026

    May 12Oct. 7 attackers could face death penalty after Israel approves war crimes tribunal9 articles · 9 independent sources
    2 left, 2 center, 0 right
  50. May 12– 13First on CNN: New report details ‘systematic’ rape and sexual violence during Hamas’ Oct 7 attack on Israel14 articles · 13 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 4 right