Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that of the 6,000 people identified as having crossed into Israel to take part in the October 7, 2023 attacks, 4,000 have since been killed by Israeli forces, leaving roughly 2,000 unaccounted for.
“Six thousand terrorists crossed the border into Israel on October 7 and carried out the atrocities. Of them, 4,000 have been killed so far, leaving another 2,000,” Katz said in a statement.
The figures were presented by Military Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder during a cabinet meeting held Sunday night, according to the statement.
The new tally marks an increase over earlier Israeli military estimates. Previous assessments had put the number of attackers who crossed into Israel on October 7 at around 5,600, with between 1,200 and 1,600 of them killed inside Israeli territory during the attack itself. The current figure of 6,000 is the latest revision of that count.
Separately, Israel has captured about 300 people suspected of having taken part in the attacks. According to the statement, they are awaiting judgment before special military tribunals that have not yet been established.
The announcement comes as the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks approaches, an event that killed and wounded large numbers of Israeli civilians and soldiers and triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
