Kfar Aza massacre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kfar Aza massacre |
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| Part of the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel | |
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Kfar Aza family home after the attack
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 Kfar Aza
Location in Israel
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| Location | Kfar Aza, Southern District, Israel |
| Coordinates | 31°29′1″N 34°32′2″E / 31.48361°N 34.53389°E |
| Date | 7 October 2023 |
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Attack type
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Mass shooting, mass murder |
| Deaths | 52 confirmed deaths; 20+ missing |
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On 7 October 2023, around 70 Hamas militants attacked Kfar Aza, a kibbutz about 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) from the border with the Gaza Strip, massacring residents and abducting several hostages.
Kfar Aza had more than 700 residents prior to the attack, and it took two days for the Israel Defense Forces to regain full control of the area. While the exact total of Israelis killed is yet unknown, as of 15 October 52 were listed as dead, and a further 20 or more were missing.
Contents
Massacre
Prior to the massacre, the area had 400 residents. About 70 Hamas gunmen broke through a fence and gained access to the kibbutz on the morning of 7 October 2023. After entering the kibbutz, which was 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) from Gaza, the militants proceeded to massacre residents. The Islamist militants began by targeting the west side of the community—an area in the kibbutz close to Gaza—where families with young children lived. Fifty two people at the kibbutz are known to have been killed.
Members of the kibbutz with military training, who formed a volunteer armed guard, fought against invading militants in an attempt to defend the community. Hamas militants broadened the attack to all four directions. Militants burned houses and killed civilian residents.
In addition, the militants took hostages from the kibbutz. The Associated Press visually confirmed four hostages who were abducted on 7 October. The militants took women, children and senior citizens among the hostages back to Gaza.
It took the Israel Defense Forces two and a half days to regain full control of Kfar Aza after the initial attack. The paratroopers of Unit 71 led the assault to retake the area, and the Duvdevan Unit also responded to the attack. Another Palestinian militant group, the Maoist DFLP, also declared that its troops (organized as National Resistance Brigades) were fighting the IDF in Kfar Aza.
Casualties
According to BBC News, most of the victims of the massacre died in the opening hours of the attack.
Aftermath
On October 14th, one week after the massacre, a vigil by a survivor of the Kfar Aza Massacre grew into a protest which attracted hundreds of participants, calling for the return of the 17 Kfar Aza residents kidnapped by Hamas during the attack, as well as the resignation of Benjamin Netanyahu. Another protest organized by Kfar Aza massacre survivors took place on October 26th.
Kfar Aza massacre survivor Ziv Stahl, executive director of the human rights organization Yesh Din, strongly opposed calls to exact revenge in an article for Haaretz, arguing that, "Indiscriminate bombing in Gaza and the killing of civilians uninvolved with these horrible crimes are no solution".
Israeli Major General Itai Veruv described the massacre as a terror attack. Hamas has also released video footage of the attack. Journalists were granted access to the site on 10 October 2023. In December 2023 it was reported that actress Debra Messing and journalist Douglas Murray toured the site of the massacre and met with survivors during their trip to Israel.
The kibbutz has become a place of pilgrimage, military ceremonies and tourism by visitors to Israel and Israeli citizens, with at least one resident speaking out about the practice. She told reporters that items were being taken from peoples homes and buildings, along with some not respecting the area and history, after finding two IDF soldiers taking selfies in her home when she came to collect items. A visitor to the site expressed caution and discomfort walking through the empty streets and homes, and stated that many homes had giant banners with the names and pictures of the homes residents along with their status after the attacks.
See also
- List of engagements during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- Outline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- Disinformation in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
- Palestinian political violence
- Moshe Dayan's eulogy for Ro'i Rothberg
