On 7 October 2023, a terrorist organisation killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
Foreign AffairsMiddle East
- Omissions
- The toll is sometimes cited as 'about 1,200' or 'at least 1,200'; Israeli Social Security records identify roughly 1,139 victims, while the figure of ~1,200 (including soldiers and security personnel) is the figure used by the US State Department and the Israeli government.
- Victims were not exclusively Jewish: they included Israeli Arabs/Bedouin, foreign workers and Thai nationals, though Jews constituted the overwhelming majority.
- The phrase 'largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust' is a characterization endorsed by official and institutional sources (US State Department, USHMM, Israeli government) rather than a statistical measure with a single universally agreed methodology.
- Sources published after the session date were not used; all cited sources describe the 7 October 2023 event, which the MEP could have known.
- Sources
- PrimaryUS Department of State — Country Reports on Terrorism 2023: Israel, The West Bank and GazaHamas terrorists ... invaded Israel by land, sea, and air and murdered an estimated 1,200 people. Hamas terrorists launched thousands of rockets into Israel, breached the security fence ...
- PrimaryU.S. Embassy (Iran) — Anniversary of October 7th AttackOn October 7, 2023, more than 1,200 men, women and children ... largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
- PrimaryGovernment of Israel / Magen David Adom (govextra)This attack was not spontaneous. It was meticulously planned and executed with the intent to massacre Jews. More than 1,200 innocent people were murdered ...
- SecondaryUnited States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM)Since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023—the single deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust—an unprecedented wave of antisemitism ...
- SecondaryPBS NewsHour — Israel marks 2 years since Oct. 7 attackThey stormed army bases, farming communities and an outdoor music festival, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, including women ...