The Kfar Aza Massacre

The Facts

• Kfar Aza is a kibbutz of over 700 people in southern Israel, located around 3 km from the Gaza Strip. The community, one of the main kibbutzim targeted in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, had multiple security measures, such as a group of volunteer armed guards. Israel's security apparatus largely dismissed the idea that Hamas posed a threat.

• At around 7:00 am local time on Oct. 7, 2023, between 50 to 70 Palestinian militants breached Kfar Aza, engaging the kibbutz's defenders and attacking its residents. The attack commenced after Hamas began firing rockets into Israel.

• After entering Kfar Aza, militants spread out and swept through the town, searching each house for residents and intentionally setting fires to flush out civilians from safe rooms. International investigations indicated that militants committed war crimes, including purposely killing civilians and gender-based violence.