Cross-border assaults and massacres of civilians carried out by the Palestinian militant group Hamas have led to a declaration of war by the nation of Israel and significant disruptions in travel and tourism. The unexpected assault on Oct. 7 featured ground attacks on communities in the southern region of the country near Hamas-controlled Gaza, as well as rocket strikes that reached as far north as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with militants firing thousands of rockets at both military and civilian sites. Hamas gunmen attacked both Israeli soldiers and civilians, including the killing of hundreds of individuals at an outdoor music festival and the abduction of others.
American citizens are included among the casualties of the assaults, with the total death toll already exceeding 1,000 individuals in Israel and Gaza.
