New tally projects Oct 7 attack death toll in Israel as 1,189

Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people, mostly civilians.

To calculate the new toll, AFP cross-referenced data published separately by Israel’s social security agency, the army, police, the Shin Bet security agency and the prime minister’s office.

The new count includes those taken hostage on October 7 by the Palestinian militant group and whose deaths have since been confirmed.

The violence on October 7 began when armed men from the Palestinian militant movement Hamas broke through the militarized border with Gaza on the sabbath, which was also the last day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Under the cover of thousands of rockets fired from Gaza, they killed indiscriminately in streets, homes, kibbutz communities and at a rave music festival.

The latest toll from the attack is now 796 civilians, 379 members of the security forces and 14 civilian hostages, giving a total of 1,189.

The youngest victim was a newborn baby who died 14 hours after birth, and the oldest was a 94-year-old woman.

Palestinian militants also took 252 people hostage, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the Israeli army says are dead.

Israel’s relentless military retaliation has killed at least 36,096 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry.