These festival-goers, seemingly oblivious to the exploded rockets overhead.
Soon afterwards, panic, as Hamas militants run rampage at the Nova music festival in southern Israel.

Almost 360 young people were killed in this attack, just kilometers from the Gaza border. Dozens more were kidnapped. 

At first light on Saturday, October 7th, Hamas began firing a barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip.

Towns in southern Israel, such as Ashkelon, bore the brunt.

Islamist militants also broke through Israeli border fences.

CCTV footage shows them entering a Kibbutz. But Hamas also filmed the terror it inflicted on Israeli communities.

As well as killing around 1,200 people, more than 220 were taken hostage, and driven over the border into Gaza.
 
There is mounting evidence some were subjected to serious sexual violence.

In an audio message, Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif called on all Palestinians to fight.

This video footage shows Palestinians on the Gaza border celebrating on top of an Israeli tank that was said to have been captured by Hamas.

There were anti-Israel rallies in the Occupied West Bank, as well as in other countries such as Iran.

Israel's response was swift, as it began its bombardment of the Gaza Strip — with devastating results.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "Citizens of Israel, we are at war, not in an operation or in (fighting) rounds, but at war."

Israel's most powerful ally, the United States, offered its total support.

US President Joe Biden: "The United States stands with Israel. We will not ever fail to have their back."

October 7th — a day of terror and carnage that continues to traumatize Israel. 

And a day for which Gaza is still paying the price.