October 7: What Happened and Why (video, 3:05)

Compiled by Ryder Zufi

While the Israeli military and intelligence mistakenly concluded that Hamas was an organization more interested in protecting its own people than killing Israelis and risking Gaza’s destruction, Hamas observed the political rifts within Israeli society and concluded that Israel was weak and vulnerable. The mass attack October 7 was meant to inflict immediate pain on Israel and undermine Israelis’ belief in their state and their future in the Middle East. The taking of hostages was meant to provide bargaining chips to trade for Palestinian prisoners and to win support among Palestinians for Hamas’ effectiveness.