April 19, 2025:*GROUP* After the establishment of Israel in 1948 through expulsion of much of the population and appropriation of their land, followed by decades of Israeli occupation and human rights abuses, and after a 20-month-long mass nonviolent effort, Palestinians in Gaza broke out of what was widely called an open air prison and launched a surprise operation against Israel in the early morning hours of Saturday, October 7, 2023.
Its scale was unprecedented, involving rockets and approximately 1,200 armed resistance fighters using hang gliders, motor boats, pickup trucks, and motorcycles. Many claims were made about this attack which were proven false. Israel immediately began bombing Gaza and subsequently turned off electricity to the enclave, leaving most of its two million inhabitants in the dark and hospitals dangerously impacted.
Due to the extremely large number of Palestinian deaths, it is nearly impossible to account for each life individually. These figures have been collected from the most reliable and respected sources available to us, including OCHA, The Palestinian Health Ministry, Ha’aretz, Shireen.ps, and others.
The figures reported here represent Israelis killed by Palestinians.
To maintain consistency and accuracy in the Timeline, the following criteria are used when determining which deaths are counted:
Included:
• Israelis killed directly by Palestinians, either in Israel or the occupied Palestinian territories.
Excluded:
• Foreign nationals (tourists, migrant workers, or any non-Israeli citizens).
• Deaths caused by accidents, friendly fire, or suicide.
• Deaths attributed to other actors such as Hezbollah, Iran, or any non-Palestinian group.
• Deaths occurring outside Israel/Palestine, such as in Egypt or other foreign countries.
The relatively small number of Israeli deaths makes it possible to track individuals with a high degree of certainty. However, to avoid emphasizing one group’s losses over another, all entries here follow the same grouped format used for Palestinian deaths.
For more specific information, see the continuously maintained list of Israeli deaths from Ha’aretz.