During the October 7 attacks on Israel, Hamas militants carried out a massacre at Be'eri, a kibbutz near the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of Gazan militants and civilian looters attacked the kibbutz, killing and abducting civilians while facing resistance from armed residents. Israeli security forces regained control by the evening of 8 October. A total of 101 Israeli civilians and 31 security personnel were killed and 32 hostages were taken from the kibbutz. At least 100 Gazan militants were also killed and 18 were captured by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the kibbutz security force.
Among the civilians killed were women (such as peace activist Vivian Silver), children, and one infant, claiming the lives of 10% of the farming community's residents. A total of 125 homes in the community were damaged or destroyed. This incident occurred concurrently with a series of other Palestinian attacks on Israel, including the Netiv HaAsara, Kfar Aza, and Nova music festival massacres. Several newspapers described the massacre as an act of terrorism, with CNN describing it as "the symbol of Hamas’ brutality."
