Battle of Sderot

Battle of Sderot
	Part of the Israel–Hamas war
	; Front lines
Date	7–8 October 2023
Location	Sderot, Southern District, Israel
Result	Israeli victory
Belligerents
Hamas	Israel
Units involved
Al-Qassam Brigades [citation needed]	Israel Defense Forces ; Israel Police ; Israeli armed "volunteer security teams"
Casualties and losses
10+ killed	20+ police officers killed ; 50+ civilians killed

The battle of Sderot (Hebrew: קרב שדרות; Arabic: معركة سديروت) began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale surprise attack on southern Israel,^[4] which was widely condemned as an act of terrorism.^[5] The Israeli town of Sderot (Hebrew: שְׂדֵרוֹת, Arabic: سديروت), located close to the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, has frequently been the target of rocket attacks and incursions during the course of the Gaza–Israel conflict.^[6] Hamas militants massacred at least 50 civilians and 20 police officers.^[7]

During the battle, a minibus of senior citizens was attacked by Hamas militants after a flat tire delayed them. All 15 passengers were killed. In another incident, the Swissa family and an Israeli Arab, Amer Abu Sabila, were killed by militants while trying to escape. Abu Sabila's bravery sparked discussions about Arab-Jewish coexistence in Israel. By October 8, Israeli forces had regained control over Sderot.

^ Robertson, Nic (8 October 2023). "IDF wrests control of Sderot from Hamas militants. See the aftermath" (Video & news article). CNN. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023. … Israel Defense Forces battled Hamas militants to regain control of the city and its police station.
^ Duro, Israel. "Heroes of Israel: Armed members of several kibbutzim managed to fight off terrorists". VOZ. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
^ Cite error: The named reference toi2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b "Several injured in clashes between Israeli forces, terrorists at Sderot police station — report". Times of Israel. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
^ Waldo, Cleary; Epstein, Gabriel; Hilbush, Sydney (11 October 2023). "International Reactions to the Hamas Attack on Israel". PolicyWatch 3793. The Washington Institute. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
^ Silverman, Anav (20 September 2007). "A City Under Siege: An Inside View of Sderot, Israel". Sderot Media Center. Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
^ "As exodus turns Sderot into a ghost town, some stay as a reminder of what's at stake". Times of Israel. 16 October 2023. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.

[1] Robertson, Nic (8 October 2023). "IDF wrests control of Sderot from Hamas militants. See the aftermath" (Video & news article). CNN. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023. … Israel Defense Forces battled Hamas militants to regain control of the city and its police station.

[2] Duro, Israel. "Heroes of Israel: Armed members of several kibbutzim managed to fight off terrorists". VOZ. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.

[toi2-3] Cite error: The named reference toi2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[toi1-4] "Several injured in clashes between Israeli forces, terrorists at Sderot police station — report". Times of Israel. 7 October 2023. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.

[WI-Waldo-5] Waldo, Cleary; Epstein, Gabriel; Hilbush, Sydney (11 October 2023). "International Reactions to the Hamas Attack on Israel". PolicyWatch 3793. The Washington Institute. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.

[sderotmedia-6] Silverman, Anav (20 September 2007). "A City Under Siege: An Inside View of Sderot, Israel". Sderot Media Center. Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2008.

[7] "As exodus turns Sderot into a ghost town, some stay as a reminder of what's at stake". Times of Israel. 16 October 2023. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.

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