Under a barrage of rockets, hundreds of Hamas gunmen stormed into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Oct. 7, on motorbikes, paragliders and four-wheel drives, unleashing death, destruction and despair on nearby towns and villages.
Gangs of militants appeared suddenly in the heart of small Israeli communities, shattering the calm of daily life, killing and kidnapping stunned residents as others cowered for hours in safe rooms until Israeli soldiers liberated them.
Fierce gun battles raged, in some cases for days, before Israeli forces finally took back control. Many traumatised survivors emerged only to find the bodies of loved ones, neighbours and gunmen strewn across their roads, gardens and fields.
Map showing location of five communities in southern Israel attacked by Hamas gunmen – from north to south, Ashkelon, Sderot, Kfar Aza, Be’eri and Re’im, the site of the Nova music festival.
Sources: Natural Earth; OpenStreetMap.
In response to the attack, Israel has put Gaza, home to 2.3 million people, under siege and launched the most powerful bombing campaign in the 75-year-old history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, destroying whole neighbourhoods and killing more than 1,400 Palestinians, according to Gazan authorities.
Reuters has pieced together authenticated video footage and witness accounts that paint a picture of the unexpected ground assault by Hamas and rocket barrages that ripped communities apart and killed at least 1,300 people in Israel, according to public broadcaster Kan.
With misinformation and disinformation clouding what actually happened on the ground in Israel, properly verified video footage, some of which is only just emerging, can play a critical role in establishing events.
This story contains sensitive photo and video content that may offend or disturb. Reader discretion is advised.
Be’eri, an agricultural kibbutz close to Gaza which once hosted Gazan farm workers, was one of the first towns hit by Hamas on Saturday at the start of the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel's history.
Video footage shows Hamas gunmen manhandling Be’eri residents and pulling them along. In another video, the same residents are seen again, lying dead further up the road. CCTV footage also shows gunmen shooting the occupants of a car as it tried to drive through a security gate at the kibbutz.
Shaky handheld cell phone footage of Hamas fighters on foot and on motorbikes leading Israeli civilians along the street.
What the video showsHamas fighters pulling people along the street at gunpoint, several with their hands bound.
Reuters was able to confirm the location by buildings, road layout, road markings, trees, fences and posts which matched satellite and file imagery of the area.
Video obtained by ReutersIsraeli paramedic Hami Atias, one of the first-responders who went into Be’eri in the aftermath of the raid, said he saw the bodies of scores of men, women and children gunned down or blown up by militants.
“Nothing could prepare me for what happened there. The smell of bodies – as many times as I've showered this week – I can't get that smell out,” the 36-year-old Atias said.
Israeli media have reported that the militants killed at least 100 people in Be’eri. The Israeli army said it intervened and killed up to 100 Hamas gunmen.
Militants killed indiscriminately and kidnapped children and elderly people, witnesses and family members said.
“My son was kidnapped. He'll be 16 years old in two weeks,” said Mir Shani, a 46-year-old physiotherapist from Be’eri.
Resident Golan Abitbul said he got into a brief gunfight with the militants.
“I saw a group trying to enter my front yard. I opened fire and they replied with a burst. I don't know why but they decided to go away,” he said, speaking from a hotel near the Dead Sea where victims and families were still taking shelter.
CCTV clips from two angles show a car and driver approaching a security gate. A gunman approaches and shoots through the windows, then he and another gunman enter through the open security gate.
What the video showsCCTV footage showing Hamas fighters entering Be’eri kibbutz and shooting at a vehicle and driver near the gate at 6 a.m. local time on Saturday.
Reuters was able to confirm the location by layout of trees, yellow entrance gate and an adjoining road which matched satellite and file imagery of the area.