October 7
Saturday, October 7, 2023. Shabbat and Simchat Torah. What happened, hour by hour, and what we told you as it happened.
Two weeks earlier
BNN, September 21, 2023, 7:58 p.m.
📢 Announcement: Introduction of the Alert Dot System
Greetings everyone,
We are excited to introduce the conceptual phase of a new feature— the "Alert Dot" system. The aim of this tool is to offer an immediate, visual snapshot of current tension levels in Israel, specifically from a safety and terrorism perspective.
How the Alert Dot System Functions
The core of this system lies in the visual representation of colored dots, displayed next to the chat title. Each color corresponds to a different level of tension, as follows:
- ⚪ White Dot: Status Quo - Indicates a stable environment with no significant disturbances or events to report.
- 🔵 Blue Dot: Heightened Awareness - Signifies a noticeable increase in tensions, perhaps due to recent incidents. Vigilance is advised.
- 🔴 Red Dot: Critical Situation - Represents a major event or incident with potential for escalating conflict. Extreme caution is recommended.
- ⚫ Black Dot: Active Conflict - Denotes ongoing operations or conflicts, suggesting a period of heightened unrest and potential danger.
Methodology for Changing the Status Dot Indicator
The responsibility for updating the Alert Dot rests with the Admins. Decisions to change the status will be made collectively, through a voting process, whenever a situational shift necessitates an update. Our determinations are based on several factors including:
- Situation on the Ground: Real-time events and conditions within Israel such as terrorist actions and situations on the borders.
- Communication with Sources and Connections: Reliable information gathered from our network of contacts.
- Internal Knowledge: Critical insights and information that may not be suitable for public disclosure but inform our understanding of the situation.
In closing, we believe that the Alert Dot system will serve as a valuable tool for maintaining situational awareness in real-time. This initiative is designed to keep everyone informed. Each time the dot's status changes, we will provide a comprehensive update to explain the reasoning behind the decision, ensuring full transparency.
Feel free to join our discussion group to let us know your thoughts and opinions as we roll out this system. Thank you for your attention.
BNN, September 21, 2023, 8:07 p.m.
🔵 Current Status: Blue Dot
The Alert Dot has been updated to a Blue Dot, indicating "Heightened Awareness," based on the following factors:
Situation on the Ground: The Erez border has been closed since Friday and remains shut due to the escalated situation involving riots and clashes at the Gaza Strip border.
Escalatory Situation: The continuing riots serve as an escalating factor. Incendiary and explosive balloons have been launched from Gaza toward Israel as part of these activities.
Holiday Season: Given that the unrest coincides with the Jewish New Year Holiday season, we consider this situation far outside the status quo and with the potential for further escalation.
Role of Hamas: The fact that Hamas has given its blessing to the riots serves as another reason for heightened awareness.
Potential for Further Escalation: We are actively monitoring the situation. The ongoing riots and actions by Hamas have the potential to escalate into more extreme attacks, such as rocket launches from Gaza.
Given these factors, we urge community members to be particularly vigilant at this time. Updates to the Alert Dot will be made as the situation evolves.
The night before
About 10:00 p.m., Shin Bet. Israeli SIM cards start coming online in phones inside Gaza. The Shin Bet notices and treats it as a weak warning sign. By 4:30 a.m., about 45 are on.
11:00 p.m., Shin Bet. The Shin Bet briefs the Gaza Division commander and Southern Command’s intelligence officer by phone about the unusual activity.
About 1:00 a.m., Shin Bet. A Shin Bet summary to the security services notes unusual signs, but concludes that Hamas does not want escalation.
About 3:20 a.m., IDF Chief of Staff. Herzi Halevi is woken at home and told about the SIM cards.
About 4:00 a.m., IDF General Staff. On a call with his generals, Halevi orders the border fence checked, adds a drone over the Gaza Division and asks for infantry on Zikim beach by first light. The working assessment is a Hamas drill, a raised alert, or at most a limited raid.
4:30 a.m., Shin Bet. Shin Bet director Ronen Bar convenes an assessment at headquarters. It ends at 5:15 a.m., judging a broad Hamas offensive unlikely.
The morning
6:29 a.m., Gaza border. Hamas fires thousands of rockets at once. Under the barrage, terrorists break through the border fence at dozens of points, by land, by sea and on powered paragliders.
6:29 a.m., Re’im, the Nova festival. Rockets streak over the Nova music festival, where about 3,000 people have been dancing through the night.
6:30 a.m., Nir Oz. Mortar fire and sirens. Ten minutes later, residents see terrorists on motorcycles riding through the kibbutz. About one in four people in Nir Oz will be killed or taken to Gaza.
About 6:30 a.m., Gaza border. Hamas drones and anti-tank missiles knock out the remote-controlled machine-gun towers and the surveillance cameras along the fence. In many places the fence’s alarms fail, or never reach the control rooms.
Three years ago today, I woke up at around 6:30 in the morning and started trying to understand what was happening.
Bernie Moerdler, writing in 2026
6:31 a.m., Re’im, the Nova festival. A police commander takes the stage and orders the party broken up.
6:32 a.m., Kfar Aza. Roy Idan, a Ynet photographer who lived in the kibbutz, films three terrorists flying toward it on powered paragliders. He and his wife Smadar were murdered that morning. Their daughter Abigail, 3, was taken to Gaza and freed in November.
One of the first photographs I received came directly from a contact in the south.
It showed a paramotor crossing the border.
I remember looking at it and immediately thinking: this is not normal.
Bernie Moerdler, writing in 2026
6:41 a.m., Zikim. The Southern District police commander declares a mass-infiltration emergency. His intelligence officer, who lives in Kibbutz Zikim, has watched a Navy boat fire on terrorists landing on the beach.
About 6:45 a.m., Be’eri. Terrorists enter Kibbutz Be’eri from two directions. Its small standby squad fights them for hours, largely on its own.
My mind went back to the Night of the Gliders in 1987, when an attacker crossed into northern Israel from Lebanon by air and attacked an IDF base.
But this was happening in the south.
Bernie Moerdler, writing in 2026
6:56 a.m., Magen David Adom. MDA logs its first gunshot casualty. Until now, its dispatchers have been handling rocket impacts.
6:59 a.m., Air Force. An Apache pilot takes off from Ramat David and turns south. Worried about an infiltration by hang gliders, he says in the cockpit: “There’s a chance they’re giving us a Yom Kippur here.”
About 7:00 a.m., Sderot. Terrorists are inside Sderot. They drive through the streets in pickup trucks, shooting, and seize the police station. The battle for it goes on through the night.
7:01 a.m., Gaza border. A security camera records a pickup truck crossing the border.
And almost immediately, it became clear that the rockets were only one part of something much larger.
Bernie Moerdler, writing in 2026
About 7:02 a.m., Re’im, the Nova festival. Terrorists reach the festival grounds and the road out. People run into open fields, or crowd into roadside bomb shelters that become traps. More than 360 people are killed at the festival.
About 7:05 a.m., Gaza border. Israeli tanks along the border are hit by drones and anti-tank missiles.
7:13 a.m., Near Ofakim. An MDA ambulance driver leaving Ofakim runs into a terrorist cell and is killed.
7:13 a.m., Israel Police. On a recorded call, Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai declares war. He reports the first word of a kidnapping, and of the fight at the Sderot police station.
7:18 a.m., Kerem Shalom. Terrorists are inside Kibbutz Kerem Shalom. Families hide in their safe rooms as gunfire sounds outside.
About 7:40 a.m., Re’im, Gaza Division headquarters. Terrorists are at the gate of the Gaza Division’s headquarters. An Apache pilot, told so over the radio, fires a missile at the gate without waiting for authorization.
About 8:00 a.m., IDF headquarters, Tel Aviv. The army declares a state of war and orders a broad call-up of reserves. “This is war,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tells the room. “Open all the warehouses.”
As reports began pouring in, I went out in Jerusalem and met reservists who had already been mobilized and were preparing to head south.
Bernie Moerdler, writing in 2026
8:10 a.m., Nirim. Two women are trapped in their safe room while terrorists move through the house.
8:30 a.m., Ofakim. The Bilya family’s house is on fire. Two hours later, the family is rescued from the roof.
The army had called people up, but in those first hours the flow of information had largely fallen apart.
Bernie Moerdler, writing in 2026
About 9:23 a.m., Re’im, the Nova festival. Terrorists start taking hostages into Gaza. Among them are Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or, taken from the festival. In all, 251 people are abducted.
About 9:30 a.m., Nir Oz. Fires burn between the homes. An attack helicopter crew overhead reports terrorists moving freely through the kibbutz.
Some of the reservists I met knew they were being sent south but had remarkably little information about what was actually happening there or what they were heading into.
Bernie Moerdler, writing in 2026
9:55 a.m., Prime Minister’s Office. Netanyahu meets the army chief and the heads of the Mossad, the Shin Bet and the National Security Council. He orders the border sealed and a full call-up.
So I started giving them sit-reps.
I told them what we knew, where fighting was being reported, what communities were under attack, what we were hearing about infiltrations and what was still unconfirmed.
Bernie Moerdler, writing in 2026
10:00 a.m., Nir Oz. No soldiers have come. A tank arrives, fires a shell at the gate and leaves.
10:30 a.m., Southern Command. Southern Command chief Yaron Finkelman tells the Air Force he has lost control of the area, and asks it to take responsibility for the fence.
About 11:00 a.m., Tel Aviv. In a video statement filmed at military headquarters, Netanyahu says: “Citizens of Israel, we are at war.”
At first, that information was just for the people in front of me.
Then a few of them told me that other people needed it too.
That we needed to send it out.
Bernie Moerdler, writing in 2026
About 11:30 a.m., Nirim. The kibbutz security coordinator answers a call from an unknown number: two attack helicopters are overhead, what does he need? “You came to me from heaven,” he tells the pilot, and guides them to the terrorists.
About 12:00 p.m., Southern Command. Six hours in, Southern Command realizes the fence has been breached at more than 30 points. It expects to regain control by nightfall. It will take about three days.
1:00 p.m., Sderot. A Maglan commando unit evacuates worshippers in the city’s north.
1:07 p.m. BNN changes its alert status from blue (“Heightened Awareness”) to black (“Active Conflict”).
BNN, 1:11 p.m.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu announces: “Citizens of Israel, we are at war"
Bulletin: Israel Under Attack - October 7, 2023
Published under the consultation of rabbaim, with the aim to keep the public informed and assist those heading to the border.
Introduction
Fifty years after the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Israel is embroiled in a new conflict, facing an unprecedented, coordinated attack involving Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other smaller factions within the Joint Operations Room. This attack marks the largest military offensive against Israel since 1973.
Current State of Affairs
- Named Operation: The Joint Operations Room of the Gaza Strip has declared an operation targeting Israel, making this the most significant attack against Israel since the Yom Kippur War. This suggests a level of coordination and intent not seen for decades.
- Scale of the Attack: The city of Sderot and surrounding kibbutzim are under siege from multiple directions by Gazan terrorists. Invasions have been carried out via land, air, and sea, employing unconventional tactics like the use of scuba divers and paratroopers.
- Rocket Attacks: A staggering 5,000 rockets were launched against Israel within the first 20 minutes of the attack. Strikes from these rockets reached as far as Netanya and Jerusalem, causing widespread panic and disruption. The rocket attacks continue to pose an immediate threat.
- Casualties: 543 Israeli injuries have been confirmed so far, and the number is expected to rise. Medical facilities are on high alert to handle the influx of casualties.
- Political Response: An emergency meeting of the Israeli Cabinet is underway. Initial intelligence suggests the counter-operation may last several weeks, indicating the severity and complexity of the situation.
- State of War Emergency: Issued by the IDF under the direction of Israel's Ministry of Defense, this is the first time since 1973 that such a severe alert level has been enacted. This grants the IDF special powers.
IDF Military Response
- IDF Operation "Iron Swords": The IDF has launched a full-scale counter-offensive named "Iron Swords" to neutralize the threats and regain control of the affected areas.
- Reserve Mobilization: The IDF has initiated a broad reserve recruitment drive, mobilizing all formations in the armed forces. Special units have been deployed around Gaza.
- Air Force Engagement: Dozens of Air Force fighter jets have already attacked targets in the Gaza Strip, crippling some of the assailants' capabilities.
- Situation Update: The IDF's current strategy focuses on three main objectives:
1) Stabilizing the borders through air, sea, and land security measures.
2) Clearing affected settlements of militants.
3) Launching a counter-attack on Gaza.
Other Incidents
- Destroyed Military Equipment: A Namer Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) was destroyed, leading to questions about the extent of the enemy’s firepower.
- Kidnappings and Casualties: There are multiple reports of kidnappings and fatalities, though exact numbers are yet to be confirmed.
- Foreign Workers: Thai and Philippine workers have been kidnapped from the Gaza border, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the attacks.
Public Advisory
- IDF Spokesperson Statement: The IDF spokesperson is urgently advising the public to obey the instructions of the Home Front Command, emphasizing that these guidelines are life-saving measures.
As a direct consequence of the escalating situation, we are updating our alert status to ⚫ black. This is indicative of the severe and immediate threats currently facing Israel. We will continue to publish bulletins to keep you informed as events unfold.
Am Yisrael Chai
Now: The figure of 5,000 rockets in the first 20 minutes came from Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif. The “paratroopers” were paragliders.
What we posted
BNN, 1:24 p.m.
57 soldiers and civilians have been captured
Now: Terrorists took 251 hostages into Gaza.
The picture only grew worse.
Bernie Moerdler, writing in 2026
1:45 p.m., Security cabinet. The security cabinet meets. Netanyahu tells ministers this is “not a round or an operation but a war.”
About 2:00 p.m., Nir Oz. The first soldiers reach Nir Oz. The terrorists have already left, taking dozens of residents into Gaza.
About 2:30 p.m., Air Force. A combat helicopter pilot is asked to escort a force toward “the nature party.” He does not know what that is, and asks for coordinates, thinking it is a code.
BNN, 2:53 p.m.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the beginning of the meeting of the political-security cabinet: "
Since this morning the State of Israel has been at war." Our first goal is first of all to cleanse the area of the enemy forces that have infiltrated and restore security and peace to the settlements that were attacked.
The second goal, at the same time, is to exact a huge price from the enemy, also in the Gaza Strip. The third goal is to fortify other arenas so that no one makes the mistake of joining this war.
We are at war, in war you have to keep calm. I call on all citizens of Israel to unite, to achieve our highest goal - victory in the war.'
BNN, 3:15 p.m.
Night Knight C was activated in Ariel due to fear of terrorist infiltration.
Residents are asked to shut themselves in their homes and obey the instructions of the security forces.
BNN, 3:16 p.m.
🕒 Update - Casualty Report
🇮🇱 Israel:
- Dead: 40
- Wounded: 740
🇵🇸 Gaza:
- Dead: 161
- Wounded: 931
Now: About 1,200 people were killed in Israel. The Gaza figures in this and later reports came from the Hamas-run health ministry.
BNN, 3:36 p.m.
🕞 Update - Latest Developments
U.S. Support:
- U.S. Defense Secretary Austin: Pentagon is committed to ensuring Israel "has what it needs to defend itself."
Firefights between infiltrated terrorists continuing:
- An active firefight between IDF and a terrorist squad has been reported in Ashdod.
- Hila Al-Roei reports that the Institute of Forensic Medicine is preparing for over a hundred dead in Israel.
• Hostages & Injuries:
- 17 Nepali citizens held hostage by Hamas.
- 7 Nepali citizens injured in attacks.
Confirmed by Nepal
Notable Reserves:
- Former MK Yair Golan (Meretz) and Former PM Naftali Bennett have rejoined the army to fight down south
Now: Ten Nepali students were killed at Kibbutz Alumim. One, Bipin Joshi, was taken into Gaza.
BNN, 4:45 p.m.
4:45 PM Update - Latest Developments
---
- Security officials report that more than 20 fighting centers are still active in the Gaza Strip.
- Malta has requested a Security Council meeting to discuss the ongoing developments between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
- Hamas claims to have kidnapped dozens of Israelis, including men, women, children, and soldiers.
- Terrorists have taken hostages inside a house in Ofakim, a city in the South of Israel. They are armed with grenades, and negotiations are currently underway.
- The IDF states that it now has troops in every Hamas-occupied town, working door-to-door to recapture land.
- IDF continuing to strike positions in the Gaza Strip
- 🚨 Israeli forces fire at Hezbollah terrorists heading toward Lebanon border fence on motorcycles (near Metula)
Please stay tuned for further updates.
BNN, 5:00 p.m.
🕒 5:00 Update - Casualty Report
🇮🇱 Israel:
- Dead: 100
- Wounded: 800
🇵🇸 Gaza:
- Dead: 198
- Wounded: 1,610
Stay tuned for more updates.
BNN, 5:12 p.m.
The Israeli Security Cabinet and unanimously voted for a ground operation into Gaza
BNN, 5:30 p.m.
The IDF spokesman, Brigadier General Daniel Hagari, officially confirms that Hamas has taken hostages and prisoners of war. There have also been casualties among IDF soldiers, but exact numbers are not yet available as the IDF is currently engaged in warfare.
Further details provided by the IDF spokesman include:
- Dozens of terrorists have infiltrated multiple land centers, as well as via the sea.
- Significant breaches have been identified in the fences, and the IDF is combating threats in 22 different locations. No area is devoid of IDF presence.
- Some settlements have been cleared of threats, but the IDF wants to complete additional scans before making official announcements.
- Special forces are dealing with hostage situations in Ofakim and Bari, where active combat is underway.
- Casualties have occurred, including among IDF soldiers. Once the IDF has comprehensive numbers, they will be released.
- The IDF maintains combat management over the Gaza division, aided by combat helicopters.
- Roadblocks have been set up in collaboration with the Israel Police across various areas.
- Air Force attacks are ongoing at multiple locations, resulting in hundreds of casualties, including many terrorists.
- The primary objective is to neutralize all terrorists near the fences and those attempting to return to the Strip.
- It's important to note that there are numerous false reports circulating, including false claims of kidnappings.
The IDF's current tasks are to eliminate all terrorists and secure all settlements. Residents are advised to stay indoors until further notice. A wide-scale reserve mobilization is underway, with four divisions being immediately deployed to Gaza. The IDF also remains on high alert in the Northern Command, prepared for any incidents.
The IDF is targeting all Hamas and GAP sites in Gaza; no individual is considered immune. The Central Command is also bolstered, and preparations are underway for potential disturbances.
A thorough investigation on how this happened will be conducted, but the IDF's current focus is on regaining control and ensuring security. The IDF asks for the resilience of the citizens of Israel, particularly those in the Gaza Strip area. The IDF is in the midst of challenging hours, but aims to restore full security in the Gaza Strip.
And even then, we still did not understand the full scale of what had happened.
Bernie Moerdler, writing in 2026
BNN, 7:04 p.m.
As of now, events with hostages are still taking place in Ofakim and Be'ei, where special forces and senior commanders are present attempting to diffuse the situation.
BNN, 7:13 p.m.
Israeli military spokesperson: "We will mobilize hundreds of thousands of additional reservists".
BNN, 7:15 p.m.
IDF spokesperson:
IDF ground and air forces thwarted hundreds of terrorists in hotspots in the area surrounding Gaza and in the south of the country
Ground and air forces of the IDF operated in the last few hours in several locations in the southern region and thwarted hundreds of terrorists.
Among the incidents, aircraft thwarted two terrorists who tried to cross the perimeter fence near the Karni crossing, nine more terrorists were thwarted in the area of Kibbutz Nirim, and another four were thwarted in the Erez crossing and Kibbutz Nir Oz by fighter jets. Additional terrorists were thwarted in Kibbutzim Sofa, Kfar Gaza and Kerem Shalom.
In addition to this, terrorists were foiled by the forces at additional points and by IDF aircraft during the last hours.
BNN, 7:37 p.m.
🚨 After more than 12 hours, control of the Be'eri was restored.
Now: The IDF’s own inquiry dates the return of operational control to the night of October 7 to 8. Fighting in the kibbutz went on into the following days.
BNN, 7:37 p.m.
The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, MK Israel Katz, signed an order instructing the Electric Company to stop supplying electricity to the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip
"I signed the order instructing the electric company to stop the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip. Whatever happened will not happen again."
Communications of the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure
BNN, 7:38 p.m.
🚨 Gaza Division Headquarters has been recaptured by Israel
BNN, 7:40 p.m.
🚨 Raim base was recaptured by Israeli forces and all terrorists were eliminated from there.
BNN, 8:02 p.m.
Massive wave of rockets now
BNN, 8:04 p.m.
Israeli media update that the number of Israeli dead has risen to 150.
BNN, 8:14 p.m.
Impacts reported in Giv'attayim, Rishon Lezion and central Israel
BNN, 8:31 p.m.
Unfortunately, our community group is now full. However, we are pleased to announce the launch of the Bernie News Network channel on WhatsApp. You can join the channel by going to the updates tab in WhatsApp and using the following link: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5w3751SWsy9ybI9j2W
We will continue to cross-post updates between both platforms until a full transition to the channel is complete. Thank you for your continued support.
BNN, 8:32 p.m.
IDF: Initial report - The IDF is currently striking a number of targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. Details to follow.
BNN, 8:36 p.m.
Report of 3 seriously injured in Rishon Lezion.
BNN, 8:46 p.m.
The Hamas barrage on central Israel wounded five civilians, MDA says. In Rishon Lezion, two men aged 28 were seriously hurt. In Yavne, a 73-year-old woman was seriously hurt and a 77-year-old man was lightly hurt. In Bat Yam, a 24-year-old man was moderately hurt.
BNN, 8:49 p.m.
BREAKING: Netanyahu told Lapid and Gantz he is inviting them to join an emergency unity government that will be based on the current government formation (with the far right Ben Gvir and Smotrich), Likud says
BNN, 8:51 p.m.
🕒 Update - Casualty Report
🇮🇱 Israel:
- Dead: 200
- Wounded: 1,100
🇵🇸 Gaza:
- Dead: 161 (No Update)
- Wounded: 931 (No Update)
Stay tuned for more updates as information becomes available.
BNN, 8:55 p.m.
🚨 Important:
In light of the situation and due to the uncertainty that currently prevails, Unit 360 - the National Aid System is opening a special Bot that will gather all the information for the family members of the missing.
Please contact only about immediate family members!
To contact the bot use the following WhatsApp number number removed
BNN, 8:57 p.m.
The White House says President Biden will deliver remarks on the terrorist attacks in Israel at 2:30 ET today.
BNN, 9:05 p.m.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant: "What was, is not what will be. We will change the face of reality in Gaza years to come."
BNN, 9:12 p.m.
The IDF states that they've recaptured Kfar Aza
Now: Fighting in Kfar Aza went on for two more days. The army secured the kibbutz late Monday, October 9.
BNN, 9:14 p.m.
🕒 Update - Casualty Report for Gaza
🇵🇸 Gaza:
- Dead: 232
- Wounded: 1,697
Stay tuned for more updates as information becomes available.
BNN, 9:15 p.m.
Al-Qassam Brigades are reportedly planning to send additional forces from Gaza into southern Israel to reinforce their control over settlements they captured.
BNN, 9:16 p.m.
The death toll in Israel has risen to 250
BNN, 9:20 p.m.
Renewed rocket fire
BNN, 9:22 p.m.
Hebrew sources: There are still Hamas militants in Sderot, Ofakim, and Be'eri.
BNN, 9:25 p.m.
”Swords of Iron”
IDF: The IDF struck military infrastructure in two multi-story buildings in the Gaza Strip belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization
Earlier today, IDF fighter jets struck military infrastructure in two multi-story buildings in the Gaza Strip used by senior Hamas terrorist operatives for carrying out terrorist activity.
In one of the buildings, the IDF struck the military offices of a number of units and arrays of the Hamas terrorist organization, including the Hamas Intelligence headquarters, its weapons production offices and other offices belonging to senior Hamas terrorist organization leaders.
The second building contained military offices used by the Hamas terrorist organization General Security Apparatus.
This demonstrates how the Hamas terrorist organization deliberately embeds its military assets in the heart of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.
BNN, 9:59 p.m.
The IDF announces that control has been achieved in most of the settlements, among them: Sderot, Sofa, Kerem Shalom, Nirim, Natziv Hathara, Nir Oz, Mozvat Nahal Oz, Hulit, Nir Am, Nir Yitzhak, Beer Sheva, Sde Yeman, Magen, Sderot, Urim
BNN, 10:00 p.m.
Reinforcement order in Otef and the southern settlements about 35 battalions.
At this stage, control was achieved in most of the localities including: Sderot, Sofa, Kerem Shalom, Nirim, Natziv Hathara, Nir Oz, Mozvat Nahal Oz, Hulit, Nir Am, Nir Yitzhak, Beer Sheva, Sde Yeman, Magen, Sderot, Urim.
• IDF fighters continue to operate in centers in the area surrounding Gaza and the south of the country and have foiled terrorists in the last few hours, among the foilings were:
1. Two terrorists who tried to cross the fence near the Karni crossing and were killed.
2. 9 terrorists who were killed by snipers.
3. Terrorists were eliminated in Sufa, Kfar Gaza and Kerem Shalom (we don't know how many).
4. 2 terrorists were killed near Erez crossing.
5. 2 terrorists near Nir Oz.
6. An estimate of about 200 terrorists killed since the beginning of the day.
• Unit 669 with Yasor helicopters and ground forces of the Southern Command rescues wounded. Four helicopters - combat and rescue were damaged and continued to assist.
• Heavy ground forces, including infantry and special units, continue to conduct ground fighting in localities against the terrorists.
• So far in HA strikes, about 150 targets have been attacked, including four high-rise buildings, about 75 TMS targets and about 9 attack tunnel targets. Over 150 tons of bombs were used in the attacks.
BNN, 10:01 p.m.
Gallant: "The goal is to overthrow Hamas"
BNN, 10:04 p.m.
In light of ongoing evaluations by security officials for an extended period of conflict, Defense Minister Yoav Galant has decided to expand the state of emergency, known as the "special situation in the home front," to cover all of Israel.
What this means:
1. Authority to the IDF: This extension gives the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) the ability to issue special instructions to the public, ensuring a coordinated response to the situation.
2. Limit on Gatherings: The IDF will have the authority to restrict the size of public gatherings for safety reasons.
3. Closure of Sites: Specific areas deemed to be high-risk can be closed off to the public.
This information comes directly from the Office of the Defense Minister.
BNN, 10:06 p.m.
🕒 Casualty Update 10:06
🇮🇱 Israel:
- Dead: 270
- Injured: 1500
🇵🇸 Gaza:
- Dead: 232
- Injured: 1300
BNN, 10:07 p.m.
President Biden in a speech given just a few minutes ago
"The united States stands with Israel, we will not fail to have their back, we will make sure they have the help their citizens need and they can continue to defend themselves."
"This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. The world is watching."
BNN, 10:21 p.m.
🕒 Update - Casualty Report
🇮🇱 Israel:
- Dead: 300
- Wounded: 1500 (No change)
🇵🇸 Gaza:
- Dead: 232 (No change)
- Wounded: 1300 (No change)
Now: About a quarter of the final toll.
BNN, 10:23 p.m.
Netanyahu gave a speech shortly ago, in which he took a strong stance against Hamas. He vowed to turn any locations in Gaza where Hamas members are hiding into ruins and urged Gaza residents to evacuate immediately for their safety. Netanyahu also pledged that recent events, which he termed a "black day," will not be allowed to happen again in Israel. He assured that the IDF will use its full force to dismantle Hamas' capabilities and bring justice for the attacks.
10:30 p.m., Security cabinet. The cabinet meets again and sits until 1:45 a.m. Netanyahu’s summary calls for destroying the military capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
BNN, 10:37 p.m.
20 Israelis police officers were killed inside the Sderot police station. The attackers are still inside the station.
Now: The IDF’s 2025 probe found that 16 people died at the station, ten of them police officers. The battle ended the next morning, when forces brought the building down.
BNN, 10:52 p.m.
IDF Northern Command Chief: Army prepares for Hezbollah joining the war on Israel, forces in northern Israel bolstered considerably
BNN, 10:55 p.m.
🚨 Important
Joint announcement: Home Front Command and the Israel Police
Starting at 10:45 p.m., a family center of the Home Front Command in cooperation with the Israel Police will begin to operate at address removed.
Families looking for their loved ones are asked to come with identifying information, an item from which DNA can be extracted and a photo of the missing person.
Family members who wish to report the absence of their relatives and are in the combat zones are asked at this stage to report by phone to hotline removed.
BNN, 11:06 p.m.
IDF: Initial report - The IDF is currently striking targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. Details to follow.
BNN, 11:13 p.m.
Reports of the abandonment of several UNIFIL posts on the Lebanese border, the IDF on high alert
BNN, 11:23 p.m.
It was allowed to be published that the commander of the Nahal Brigade, the late Lt. Col. Yonathan Steinberg, was killed today in an encounter with a terrorist near Kerem Shalom.
The late Lt. Col. Yonatan Steinberg, 42 years old from Kibbutz Shumaria, was on his way to an exchange of fire that his subordinates conducted with terrorists. On his way, he encountered a terrorist and was killed during an exchange of fire near Kerem Shalom.
His family has been notified.
The IDF shares in the family's grief and will continue to accompany it.
Now: His rank was colonel.
BNN, 11:29 p.m.
Hamas claims to hold 164 hostages at this time
Now: The final count was 251.
BNN, 11:38 p.m.
MDA Spokesperson: Tomorrow (Sunday 8.10) the blood services of Magen David Adom will hold large blood donations in the following cities:
locations removed
At MDA, people with all blood types, especially type O, are asked to come and donate blood
Details about its location and additional donations throughout the country can be found on the MDA website https://www.mdais.org/blood-donation
Three years later
About 1,200 people were ultimately killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attack. 251 people were abducted into Gaza.
Three years later, no hostage abducted on October 7 remains there.
But October 7 itself has never really left us.
For me, one of the clearest memories will always be that first photograph.
A paramotor in the sky.
A picture that took only a second to understand, but which told me immediately that whatever was happening that morning was profoundly different.
What followed was hours of trying to make sense of chaos, getting information to people who were being sent into it, and eventually realizing that the best thing BNN could do was make that information available to everyone who needed it.
Our archive from that day is now thousands of lines long.
At the time, they were urgent messages, sit-reps and breaking-news updates.
Today, they are part of the historical record of one of the darkest days in Israel’s history.
We remember those who were murdered.
We remember the soldiers, police officers and first responders who ran toward the fighting.
We remember those who were taken hostage.
We remember the survivors and the families whose lives were changed forever.
And we remember October 7.
We will never forget.
Bernie Moerdler, Bernie News Network