Kibbutz Be'eri Massacre — ~97 Killed, 30 Taken Hostage

Kibbutz Be'eri, ~5 km from Gaza, was one of the hardest-hit communities. Hamas fighters entered the kibbutz early morning and conducted house-to-house killings over approximately 10 hours. About 97 residents were killed — roughly 10% of the kibbutz's population — making it one of the worst single-community massacres. Some residents were burned alive in their homes. Approximately 30 residents were taken hostage to Gaza. Israeli forces did not fully secure the kibbutz until evening. Subsequent investigations revealed IDF tank fire may have killed some Israeli hostages held inside a house (the 'Sde Teiman' incident). Be'eri became a symbol of the attack's brutality.