KTAF NEWS

As Israelis were wrapping up the seven-day-long Jewish festival of Sukkot on Saturday, sirens echoed across the country just before dawn, and citizens soon realized it was not a false alarm. A full-fledged surprise attack was being waged from the air, sea and ground by hoards of Hamas militants.

Thousands of missiles fired from Gaza streaked through the sky and began raining down on indiscriminate targets in Israel, sparking terror and leaving hundreds of bodies in the streets of cities and buildings decimated. Simultaneously, hundreds of armed fighters of the terrorist group, many on motorcycles, followed bulldozers that breached fences separating Israel from Gaza and charged into cities, taking Israeli soldiers off guard and gunning down citizens.

The lightning-quick, multi-pronged ambush also included dozens of Hamas militants in motorboats storming Israeli beaches and engaging in fierce firefights with Israeli forces. Other armed Hamas attackers swooped into Israel through the smoke-filled skies on paragliders.

As those under attack rushed to safe rooms and bomb shelters, groups of terrorists infiltrating the county marched into towns and into kibbutz after kibbutz, opening fire on homes and killing Israeli citizens at random. Militants burst into houses, shooting residents begging for their lives and taking others — including women, children and the elderly — hostage, driving the terrified captives back into Gaza as many of them screamed for help.

A music festival where hundreds of Israeli young people danced through the night into the break of dawn suddenly became a shooting gallery for the Hamas militants, who arrived in vans with their guns blazing, mowing down 260 partygoers and abducting others.

Hamas leaders are now threatening to kill the hostages one by one and film the executions if their demands are not met.

In one of the hardest-hit kibbutzim, Kfar Aza, near the Gaza border, where ABC News was allowed in, entire Israeli families were slaughtered and bodies of militants killed in the attack remained sprawled in the streets, some next to crashed motorcycles. Nearly every home in Kfar Aza was bullet-riddled, and a gaping hole in a nearby border fence remained open and guarded by Israeli soldiers still engaging in intense firefights with the enemy.

The bodies of numerous Hamas fighters have been found along the border, killed in chaotic battles since Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Within hours of the attack that shocked the world, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was calling it a “dark day” for his country and declaring war on Hamas. A veteran Israeli military official deemed the assault “our 9/11.”

“We have begun the process of naming and counting the dead, both soldiers and civilians. We are talking about unprecedented numbers, numbers that up until two days ago seemed totally fictional and unimaginable,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a spokesperson for the IDF, told ABC News.

As of Oct. 15, the death toll in Israel stood at more than 1,300, officials said. Another 3,227 people were injured in Israel. Among the dead are at least 29 American citizens, a State Department spokesperson said on Oct. 14. An undetermined number of Americans were taken hostage, U.S. officials said.

In Gaza, at least 2,329 people have died and more than 9,000 others have been injured since the retaliatory airstrikes by Israel began, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Oct. 15. At least 724 of the dead in Gaza are children and 458 are women, the health ministry said.

The Hamas attack was launched on the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War that pitted Israel against Egypt and Syria.

Here is a timeline of events in the rapidly changing conflict enveloping Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip territory:

A barrage of rockets

Oct. 7, 6:30 a.m. in Israel

Air raid sirens began sounding in Jerusalem around 6:30 a.m. local time, warning citizens of the attack in progress and to immediately take cover. An estimated 2,200 rockets were fired toward southern and central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, by the Hamas militants, according to IDF. Meanwhile, Hamas claimed at least 5,000 rockets were fired, all landing in southern and central Israel.

One missile slammed into a hospital in the Israeli coastal town of Ashkelon, Israeli officials said.

Armed Hamas militants, many on motorcycles, storm blockaded areas of the Gaza Strip, shooting at Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip, officials said. Video footage surfaces of Hamas militants taking Israeli citizens — including mothers, children and the elderly — hostage and taking them across the Gaza border.

In one of its first public messages, the IDF said, “Over the past hour, the Hamas terrorist organization launched massive barrages of rockets from Gaza into Israel, and its terrorist operatives have

Oct. 7, shortly after the attack begins

Mohammed Deif, commander in chief of the Hamas’ military arm Al Qassam Brigades, released a video statement claiming responsibility for the attack, saying: “The Zionist colonial occupation occupied our Palestinian homeland and displaced our people, destroyed our towns and villages, committed hundreds of massacres against our people, killing children, women and elderly people and demolishing homes with their inhabitants inside in violation of all international norms, laws and human rights conventions.”

‘Israel is at war’

Oct. 7, about 10:30 a.m. local time

Israeli jet fighters launched retaliatory strikes in Gaza. Video surfaces of a high-rise residential building and the Al-Sousi Mosque in Gaza City being bombed and flattened by Israeli airstrikes

Oct. 7, around 11:30 a.m. in Israel

Netanyahu made his first public statement, telling his country, “Israel is at war.”

“This is not a so-called military operation, not another round of fighting, but war,” Netanyahu said.

Oct. 7, around 8:30 p.m. ET

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin released a statement saying he is “closely monitoring” the situation in Israel and extends his condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in Israel.

“Over the coming days, the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism,” Austin said.

Oct. 7, around 9:30 a.m. ET

The White House announced that President Joe Biden was briefed by senior national security officials “on the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.”

Oct. 7, just after 10 a.m. ET

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel, saying the U.S. will “remain in close contact with our Israel partners.”

“The United States unequivocally condemns the appalling attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israel, including civilians and civilian communities. There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel, and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks,” Blinken said in a statement.

Oct. 7, around 11 a.m. ET

The White House announced that Biden had spoken with Netanyahu, telling the prime minister the U.S. “condemns” Hamas’ assault on Israel.

“I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel. Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation. My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering,” Biden said in a televised statement.

‘We will win’

Oct. 7, around 5 p.m. ET

Netanyahu made a televised address in Israel, repeating his earlier statement that Israel is at war and adding, “We will win.”

“This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens,” Netanyahu said. “We have been in this since the early morning hours. I convened the heads of the security establishment and ordered — first of all — to clear out the communities that have been infiltrated by terrorists. This currently is being carried out. At the same time, I have ordered an extensive mobilization of reserves and that we return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known. The enemy will pay an unprecedented price. In the meantime, I call on the citizens of Israel to strictly adhere to the directives of the IDF and Home Front Command. We are at war and we will win it.”

30 Israeli police killed in fighting

Oct. 8, around 5 a.m. ET

At least 30 Israeli police officers were killed in the fighting, mainly in Sderot, Israel, where Hamas gunmen took control of the police station.

Israeli officials announced that fighting is ongoing in six places, including Sderot — which sits just 2 miles from the border with Gaza — and that a rocket injured four people.

 

Oct. 8, around 9 a.m. ET

The Israeli government confirmed that a number of civilians and soldiers have been taken hostage. At least 100 Israeli citizens and soldiers are being held hostage by Hamas fighters, Israel’s Government Press Office said.

Videos posted online show a packed all-night music festival in a desert in southern Israel near the Gaza border being attacked by rockets and armed Hamas fighters on the ground. The footage showed women and children being dragged away in vehicles and driven back into Gaza.

Israeli rescue service Zaka said at least 260 bodies were removed from the venue of the music festival following the attack.

Blinken said on CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the State Department is trying to confirm reports that Americans are among those killed or taken hostage.

Blinken told ABC’s “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos that the U.S. has pledged its full support to Israel.

“This is a massive terrorist attack that is gunning down Israeli civilians in their towns, in their homes, and as we’ve seen, so graphically, literally dragging people across the border with Gaza, including a Holocaust survivor in a wheelchair, women and children,” Blinken said on “This Week.”

He added, “The world should be revolted at what it’s seen.”

Oct. 8, around 1 p.m. ET

Israeli health officials announced that more than 700 people are dead in Israel and over 2,100 others injured. The Palestinian Health Authority said there are 370 people dead in Gaza and 2,200 others injured.

Oct. 9, morning

Air sirens sounded in northern Israel, prompting residents to rush to safe rooms. IDF claimed at least two rockets were fired toward northern Israel from Lebanon. One of the rockets, according to the IDF, landed in Lebanese territory.

“The IDF neutralized a number of terrorist infiltrators who crossed from Lebanon into Israel. We are defending our country and stand ready on all borders,” the IDF said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

IDF helicopter gunships are attacking Lebanese territories, the IDF announced.

The Lebanese Army announced that missiles were fired from Israel in Lebanon.

“The outskirts of the towns of Al-Dhaira and Aita Al-Shaab and other border areas are being subjected to air and artillery bombardment by the Israeli enemy,” the Lebanese Army said in a statement. “The Army Command calls on citizens to take the utmost precaution and caution and not to go to areas adjacent to the border in order to preserve their safety.”

There are no immediate reports of injuries.

Americans killed

Oct. 9, about 6 a.m. ET

An official with the U.S. National Security Council confirmed there were nine Americans killed in Israel. The death toll would continue to climb.

 

Oct. 9, about 8 a.m. ET

IDF announced its jet fighters struck 130 targets in the Gaza Strip, many of them in the Al Furqan area, which serves as a hub for Hamas.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a “complete siege” on Gaza. He said authorities would cut electricity to the region and block fuel and food from entering the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians.

In an interview with ABC News, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, spokesman for IDF, said Israel is taking swift retribution for Hamas attacks.

“It is an unprecedented attack,” Conricus said. “And it will be followed by an unprecedented Israeli response against those bloodthirsty animals that have come across from Gaza and attacked our civilians.”

Hamas threatens to kill hostages

Oct. 9, around 1 p.m. ET

Hamas said the group will start killing Israeli hostages one by one and film the executions unless Israel immediately stopped shelling homes in Gaza without warning.

In an update on the Israeli hostages taken by Hamas, IDF announced it has obtained information on every Israeli kidnapped and that it has notified 30 families so far.

Oct. 9, just after 1 p.m. ET

IDF announced it has mobilized 300,000 reserves — the largest and quickest call-up in Israel’s history, according to a spokesman.

‘Pure, unadulterated evil’

Oct. 10, just after 3 p.m. ET

The U.S. confirmed that an undetermined number of Americans had been taken hostage by Hamas, Biden said.

“I’ve directed my team to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts. Because as president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world,” Biden said.

Biden said the atrocities committed by Hamas fighters included the “slaughter” of men, women and entire families, as well as “stomach-churning reports of babies being killed.”

Oct. 10, around 4 p.m. ET

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant toured southern Israel along the Gaza border, telling soldiers they are moving to “a full-scale response” to the Hamas surprise attack and that he has “removed every restriction.”

“Hamas wanted to see a change in Gaza — the reality is Gaza will make a 180. They will regret [their actions],” Gallant said.

He added, “We will not allow a reality in which Israeli children are murdered. I have removed every restriction. We will eliminate anyone who fights us, and use every measure at our disposal. Anyone who decapitates citizens, or murders women and Holocaust survivors — will be eliminated.”

 

Gallant’s comments came as IDF soldiers from the 17th Battalion, with the assistance of aerial fire from a remotely manned aircraft and a combat helicopter, exchanged fire with a number of terrorists held up in Ashkelon, a coastal city in southern Israel. The soldiers, according to the IDF, killed three terrorists in the industrial area of the city and were continuing to search the area as night fell.

Oct. 13, morning

IDF called for “all residents of Gaza City to evacuate their homes” and “move south for their protection” in a series of posts on X.

 

Oct. 13, around 8:50 a.m. ET

Blinken met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan and conveyed the need to cool tension across the West Bank and prevent the conflict from becoming broader.

“The Secretary extended his condolences to the families of Palestinian civilian victims of this conflict, and reiterated that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to dignity, freedom, justice, and self-determination,” a readout from State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said.

Oct. 13, 12:15 p.m. ET

The White House said Biden spoke with family members of the 14 Americans who remain unaccounted for after the attack in Israel.

Oct. 13, 12:35 p.m. ET

Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah was killed while providing a live signal in southern Lebanon, Reuters said.

Oct. 13, 12:54 p.m. ET

The first chartered flight to evacuate Americans from Israel departed for Europe, Kirby said.

 

Oct. 13, 1:25 p.m. ET

Seventy people were killed and 200 were injured in an Israeli strike on a convoy of civilians heading from northern Gaza to central Gaza, according to the Palestinian government press office.

Oct. 14, before 7 a.m. ET

Egypt, Israel and the United States have agreed to allow foreigners in Gaza to pass through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, a senior State Department official confirmed.

Oct. 14, around noon ET

The IDF announced it is preparing to implement an “integrated and coordinated attack from the air, sea and land” with an emphasis on a “significant ground operation.”

About 35,000 people were sheltering at Shifa Hospital, Gaza City’s main hospital, ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive, according to a hospital official.

Attempted mass exodus from Gaza delayed at Egypt border

Oct. 15, daybreak in Gaza

A chaotic rush of Palestinians and foreigners ensues as thousands of people head toward southern Gaza in the hope of escaping through Egypt before Israeli ground forces move into the territory with the mission to annihilate Hamas.

But Egyptian officials were not letting anyone through the Rafah crossing, creating a bottleneck at the border. Some Gaza residents say they are being prevented or delayed from evacuating Gaza by Hamas militants taking measures like stealing car keys.

Meanwhile, Sari Bashi, program director for Human Rights Watch, tells ABC News Live that the situation in Gaza is “about as bad as it can get.”

“People are being forced to drink brackish, untreated water because the price of bottled water has gone up beyond what most people can afford,” Bashi says. “Food is short, there is no electricity. Even emergency generators that hospitals have are running low on fuel, and supplies are dwindling.”