Nova festival massacre: Hamas murdered 378 Israelis in bloodiest Oct. 7 attack

Of the 378 Israelis killed, 344 were civilians • Hamas took 44 hostage from music festival, 17 remain in Gaza including 11 still among living

 The aftermath of Hamas's Nova music festival massacre in Re'im, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023. Picture taken November 2, 2023 (photo credit: Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)
The aftermath of Hamas's Nova music festival massacre in Re'im, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023. Picture taken November 2, 2023
(photo credit: Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)

Hamas terrorists murdered 378 Israelis and took 44 hostages from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, in the bloodiest single incident of Hamas’s invasion, according to the IDF's October 7 probe.

Breaking down the 378 Israelis, 344 were civilians and the other 34 were a mix of mostly IDF and police forces, with a small number also of Shin Bet fighters.

Regarding the hostages, 27 have been returned to Israel, 14 alive and 13 deceased.

17 more hostages remain in Gaza, 11 still alive, and six deceased.

 

 The aftermath of Hamas's Nova music festival massacre in Re'im, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023. Picture taken November 2, 2023 (credit: Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)
The aftermath of Hamas's Nova music festival massacre in Re'im, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023. Picture taken November 2, 2023 (credit: Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)

Hamas murdered 207 partygoers who attempted to escape from area

171 of the partygoers were killed in the immediate original area of the party, while 207 were murdered while fleeing throughout the Gaza corridor.

Most of those killings, perpetrated by over 100 Hamas invaders from Nuseirat in central Gaza, occurred between 9:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., as Hamas did not know about the festival until 8:12 a.m.

Only around 3:30 p.m. were there large Israeli reinforcements, though there were some sporadic reinforcements earlier.

There has also been a large controversy over whether to place greater blame on the police or the IDF regarding the Nova music festival massacre.