Today, the 7 October Parliamentary Commission, led by Lord Roberts of Belgravia on behalf of the UK-Israel All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), released its initial report regarding the 2023 Hamas-led assault on southern Israel. The report follows a year-long inquiry started in January 2024, aiming to establish a clear account of the events and to challenge any attempts to deny or misrepresent what occurred.
The invasion, which unfolded over several days, was one of the most devastating acts of terror in history, resulting in the deaths of 1,182 people, including 18 UK nationals. This represents the highest number of UK deaths in a Middle Eastern terror attack and the second highest death toll globally, after the 9/11 attacks.
The findings of the report provide a detailed account of the atrocities, which included murder, torture, and sexual violence, and also reveal the planning behind the attack and the groups involved. Citizens from 44 countries were either killed or taken hostage during the assault, with the majority of victims being Jewish Israelis. However, the attackers showed no distinction in their brutality, also targeting Israeli Arabs, Bedouins, and Thai workers.
The 7 October Parliamentary Commission Report is being distributed to Members of Parliament in both the Commons and Lords, as well as to University Vice Chancellors, and it will be made publicly available online.
In his introduction to the report, Lord Roberts likened the denial of the events to Holocaust denial, stating, “Hamas and its allies, both in the Middle East and equally shamefully in the West, have sought to deny the atrocities, despite the ironic fact that much of the evidence for the massacres derives come from film footage from cameras carried by the terrorists themselves – though of course there is also much more from many other sources, as this Report delineates.” He continued, “The present Report has been undertaken to counter such pernicious views, and to lay down incontrovertible proof – for now and for the years to come – that nearly 1,200 innocent people were indeed murdered by Hamas and its allies, and very often in scenes of sadistic barbarism not seen in world history since the Rape of Nanjing in 1937.”
Key findings of the report include:

• The attack was years in the making, beginning as early as 2018, when Palestinian armed groups in Gaza formed the “Joint Room for Palestinian Resistance Factions” to coordinate actions.
• Around 7,000 individuals participated in the coordinated attack on 55 separate locations.
• Among the victims was 66-year-old Rotem Kalderon, a dual UK-Israel citizen, whose body was found two weeks after the assault at Kibbutz Be’eri. The report details the deaths of all 17 UK citizens killed, as well as the two hostages taken, one of whom was killed in captivity, bringing the UK death toll to 18.
• The deliberate killings of civilians occurred at 26 sites. The youngest victim was Naama Abu Rashed, a newborn who died 14 hours after being shot while still in his mother’s womb. The oldest victim was 92-year-old Holocaust survivor Moshe Ridler, killed by a rocket-propelled grenade aimed at the door of his safe room. Civilians represented 73% of the victims of the attack.
• The largest group of victims was aged 18-30, largely due to the massacre at the Nova music festival, which claimed 375 lives.
• The causes of death included shootings, burns, asphyxiation, and grenade explosions.
• There were widespread acts of desecration, including mutilation, beheadings, and the booby-trapping of corpses with grenades. Some of the dead were taken as hostages.
• The attackers were equipped with detailed maps of villages (kibbutzim) and manuals for hostage-taking, along with specially designed weapons to breach civilian safe rooms.
• The findings corroborate earlier reports by UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence, Pramila Patten, which documented cases of sexual violence, including “several fully naked or partially naked bodies from the waist down [that] were recovered – mostly women – with hands tied and shot multiple times.” Sexual violence was reported at all the sites targeted during the attack.
• The attackers breached the border fence between Gaza and Israel 119 times, while also launching simultaneous incursions by air and sea. An unprecedented rocket barrage put 75% of Israel’s population, approximately 7.3 million people, at risk.

The investigation that led to the publication of Wednesday’s report was conducted by Lord Roberts, supported by a group of UK parliamentarians. The panel heard testimonies from those directly impacted, including family members of victims and hostages, and gathered evidence from academics and military experts. The report also utilized footage from GoPro cameras worn by Hamas operatives during the attack, as well as CCTV footage capturing the assault.
Lord Roberts commented: “This report will serve as a permanent memorial and enduring resource for governments, educators, and civil society in order to safeguard the truth against denialism and distortion.” He added, “The purpose of commissioning our report has been to chronicle the events of 7 October with clarity and meticulous, factchecking precision, to ensure it is never forgotten.”
Tzipi Hotovely, Israel’s Ambassador to the UK, who attended the event, remarked, “The UK Parliament’s report on the events of 7th October provides crucial fact-based clarity on the horrific war crimes committed by Hamas against innocent civilians.” She continued, “We live in a world where fake news prevails, and the truth is systematically erased through denial and distortion. This comprehensive report is part of the fight against the spread of lies and misinformation. I’d like to thank Professor Andrew Roberts and the Israel APPG for this important step in preserving historical truth.”
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