Scores of Hamas militants broke through Israel Defense Forces (IDF) barriers around the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, overwhelming border posts and capturing the IDF base at Re'im, which houses the headquarters of the Gaza division. In the initial attack, Hamas militants also targeted a major music festival near Re'im, where militants killed up to 260 partygoers and abducted an unknown number back to the Gaza Strip. The penetration was a remarkable failure of IDF defenses and appears to have been carried out with a combination of bulldozers, drones, motorcycles, pick-up trucks and even paragliders to overcome the Gaza border wall and maneuver inside Israel. Hamas lacks the numbers to take and hold ground against the IDF, and it appears the infiltration's tactical goal was to cause maximum amounts of civilian and military casualties while bringing hostages back to Gaza. As of Oct. 10, the IDF claimed to have cleared Hamas gunmen from these areas, but continued clashes have occurred along the Gaza-Israel border as Gaza prepares for a likely Israeli invasion.
