It was just after 6.30am when the first shots were fired.
A wave of Hamas fighters arrived at kibbutz Kfar Aza on foot and in the air, breaking through the Gaza border fence and flying over on hang gliders. Residents hid in their shelters, unsure of what was happening outside.
The kibbutz, only 1.8 miles (3 km) from the Gaza border, was one of the first reached by Hamas on that October Saturday morning.
Image: Burned-out cars in Kfar Aza
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0:59
‘Everything is destroyed’
“It seemed like the end of the world,” recalls Aviva Siegel, a resident of the kibbutz. “My house was shaking, from all the rockets that were coming out of Gaza.”
Around 9am, a second Hamas wave arrived, some on foot, others flying over the border with paragliders.
It was 12 hours before the Israeli military arrived. It took them days to retake Kfar Aza.
Image: Kibbutz Kfar Aza
Finally, on Tuesday morning, after three and a half days of fighting, the longest battle was over.
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At least one of the dead had been decapitated. The charred bodies of others were discovered in the ash of homes. The United Nations found evidence of sexual violence there.
Eighteen of the residents had also been taken hostage by Hamas. Some dead, some alive, they were forced into Gaza. Aviva Siegel and her husband Keith were two of them.
Image: Aviva Siegel and her husband were taken hostage by Hamas. She was released last November, but he wasn’t
Ms Siegel said: “They pushed us and Keith fell, and they broke his ribs. They shot us and one of the bullets hit Keith’s hand.
“I remember going through the big, huge fence. It was just open, and we just drove into Gaza.”
By then, thousands of Hamas had been joined by other militant fighters from Gaza. All along Israel’s border, they rampaged through kibbutzim. The Israeli military fought running battles; more than 60 soldiers were killed that day.
Kfar Aza today is a ghost village. A few people have returned – if their houses are still standing.
Image: Shar Shnurman and his wife hope kibbutz life will return soon
Shar Shnurman and his wife now cook for the Israeli soldiers stationed on the border and hope kibbutz life will come back soon.
Standing by his BBQ, destroyed houses on every side of the street, he cuts a lonely figure.
“I didn’t see any other option but to live in my house, my land. It is what I owe to this country, what I owe to my father. This is the education I got: never to leave the house, never to leave my land. So, we came back.”
One year on, many of the residents of Kfar Aza are still temporarily living in a kibbutz north of Tel Aviv. They are still haunted by 7 October. Some are angry that they were abandoned.
“I’m disappointed with the army,” another former resident, Shani, tells us.
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1:00
‘On 7 October life dramatically changed’
“You know, my enemy is my enemy. I didn’t think if they would come in, they would come to what? To shut down the electricity? No, they come to kill us. We knew it. But we thought we had a country and an army that was supposed to defend us.”
Massive weekly protests have been held across Israel, demanding a ceasefire and hostage deal. Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets in the hope that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would listen and act. For whatever reason, whoever is really to blame, it hasn’t happened.
The 7 October attack brought a divided Israel back together. Bitter splits over judicial reforms being pushed by Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing government were forgotten as the IDF set about destroying Hamas.
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0:51
Attack on Israel ‘will be done again if necessary’
According to one poll, by the Israeli Democracy Institute, 80% of Israelis support the military’s invasion of Lebanon to return 60,000 Israelis to their homes on the northern border.
But few thought the war would last this long. Mr Netanyahu has skillfully and, his critics would say, cynically clung to power even though he has refused to accept any responsibility for the 7 October attacks despite being prime minister at the time.
His popularity is higher now, following the widespread assassinations of Hezbollah leaders, than it has been for many months. Few would bet against him remaining in office until elections scheduled for 2026; many believe he will win those too.
Image: Shani, who used to live on the kibbutz, says she is ‘disappointed’ with the Israeli army
Mr Netanyahu has failed to propose a “day-after” plan for Gaza, and Hamas is starting to re-emerge in the north of the Strip, much to the annoyance of senior IDF commanders.
The Israeli government has described the invasion of Lebanon as “limited and targeted” but has put forward no strategy for exiting. The invasion, still only days old, is already showing signs of becoming another drawn-out grinding conflict.
Many hostage families believe Mr Netanyahu has deliberately avoided doing a deal with Hamas and label him a murderer as a result. Ms Siegel was released last November, but her husband, Keith, wasn’t. One morning, she said a rushed goodbye to her husband and hasn’t seen or heard from him since.
“I bent down to him and said I’m going to Israel and that he must be strong for me, and I will be strong for him. And that’s how we separated, he didn’t say a word.”
No matter how many times Aviva has retold her story, her lip trembles and her eyes water.
Image: Destruction in Gaza
“He was in shock, I was in shock. I’ve got no idea what Keith thought and how he managed that moment. He said nothing.”
The 7 October attack changed everything. For millions, it was the day normal life paused. A year on, the war in Gaza continues and conflict has spread across the region.
More than 41,000 have been killed in Gaza, but Hamas remains undefeated. Israel has invaded Lebanon, but Hezbollah is fighting back.
During the October 7 attacks and the ensuing war more than 1,200 Israelis have been killed and 97 hostages out of around 250 taken to Gaza remain there.
More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and over 96,000 have been injured according to its health ministry. The IDF estimated in August that more than 17,000 of those killed were Hamas fighters.
More than 700 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and over 6,000 have been injured.
The Lebanese Health Ministry says nearly 2000 of its citizens have been killed, mostly since Israel stepped up attacks. The IDF says 250 Hezbollah fighters have been killed.
Up to 20 September, 28 Israelis had been killed by Hezbollah rocket attacks.
With some inevitability, Iran and the United States are being dragged into a war that is now tumbling out of their control.
Mr Netanyahu promised Israelis “total victory” over their enemies – it’s unclear when or how that will come.
Asian stock markets have fallen dramatically amid escalating fears of a global trade war – as Donald Trump called his tariffs “medicine” and showed no sign of backing down.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index of shares closed down 13.2% – its biggest one-day drop since 1997, while the Shanghai composite index lost 7.3% – the worst fall there since 2020.
Elsewhere, Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 7.8%, while London’s FTSE 100 was down 4.85% by 9am.
US stock market futures signalled further losses were ahead when trading begins in America later.
At 4am EST, the S&P 500 futures was down 4.93%, the Dow Jones 4.32% and the Nasdaq 5.33%.
Markets are reacting to ongoing uncertainty over the impact of President Trump’s tariff regime on goods imported to the US, which he announced last week.
Image: A screen showing the Hang Seng index in central Hong Kong. Pic: Reuters
Speaking on Air Force One on Sunday, Mr Trump said foreign governments would have to pay “a lot of money” to lift his tariffs.
“I don’t want anything to go down. But sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” he said.
The US president said world leaders were trying to convince him to lower further tariffs, which are due to come into effect this week.
“I spoke to a lot of leaders, European, Asian, from all over the world,” Mr Trump told reporters.
“They’re dying to make a deal. And I said, we’re not going to have deficits with your country.
“We’re not going to do that because to me, a deficit is a loss. We’re going to have surpluses or, at worst, going to be breaking even.”
Mr Trump, who spent much of the weekend playing golf in Florida, posted on his Truth Social platform: “WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it won’t be easy.”
Reality hits that trade war no longer just a threat
China’s announcement of its tariff retaliation came late afternoon on Friday local time.
Most Asian markets closed shortly after – and markets in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan were closed for a public holiday – meaning the scale of the hit did not play out until today.
This morning we are getting a sense of the impact. Dramatic falls across all Asian markets clearly signal a realisation a global trade war is no longer just a threat, but a reality here to stay, and a global recession could yet follow.
Up until Friday, China’s response to Donald Trump’s tariffs had been perceived as restrained and designed to avoid escalation, the markets had reacted accordingly.
But that all changed last week when Mr Trump’s new 34% levy on all Chinese goods was matched by China with an identical tax. Both sit on top of previous tariffs levied, meaning many goods now face rates in excess of 50%.
These are numbers that make most trade between the world’s two biggest economies almost impossible and that will have a global impact.
China has clearly decided any forthcoming pain will have to be managed, and not being seen to be cowed and bullied by Mr Trump is being deemed more important.
But the scale of the retaliation will have further spooked the markets as it makes the prospect of negotiation and retreat increasingly unlikely.
Mr Trump added to the atmosphere of intransigence when he told the media on Sunday the trade deficit with China would need to be addressed before any deal could be done. The complete lack of concern from the White House over the weekend will also not have helped.
While smaller economies like Japan, South Korea, Cambodia and Vietnam are all lining up to attempt to negotiate, there are a lot of nations in that queue.
There is a sense none of this will be easily rectified.
On Saturday, US customs agents began collecting Mr Trump’s baseline 10% tariff.
Higher “reciprocal” tariffs of between 11% and 50% – depending on the country – are due to come into effect on Wednesday.
President Trump believes his policy will ultimately make the US richer, creating jobs and forcing companies to relocate more of their manufacturing to America.
However, his announcement has jolted economies around the world, triggered retaliatory levies from China and sparked fears of a global trade war.
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1:04
Trump’s tariffs: What you need to know
Investors and world leaders are unsure whether the US tariffs are here to stay or a negotiating tactic to win concessions from other countries.
Richard Flax, chief investment officer at Moneyfarm, said: “I guess there was some hope over the weekend that maybe we would see this as part of the start of a negotiation.
“But the messages that we’ve so far seen suggest that the President Trump is comfortable with the market reaction and that he’s going to continue on this course.
Goldman Sachs has raised the odds of a US recession to 45%, joining other investment banks that have also revised forecasts.
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In the UK, Sir Keir Starmer has promised “bold changes” and said he would relax rules around electric vehicles as British carmakers deal with a new 25% US tariff on vehicles.
The prime minister said “global trade is being transformed” by President Trump’s actions.
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2:53
‘Nothing off the table’ over tariffs
Meanwhile, KPMG warned tariffs on UK exports could see GDP growth fall to 0.8% in 2025 and 2026.
The accountancy firm said higher tariffs on specific categories, such as cars, aluminium and steel, would more than offset the exemption on pharmaceutical exports, leaving the effective tariff rate on UK exports around 12%.
Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK, said: “Given the economic impact that tariffs would cause, there is a strong incentive to seek a negotiated settlement that diminishes the need for tariffs.
“The UK automotive manufacturing sector is particularly exposed given the complex supply chains of some producers.”
Pope Francis, 88, had spent five weeks in Rome’s Gemelli hospital as he was treated by doctors for a life-threatening bout of double pneumonia.
The Pope, in what was a previously unannounced move, entered St Peter’s Square in a wheelchair shortly before noon local time at the end of the celebration of a mass for the Catholic Church’s Jubilee year.
Image: The pontiff arrives at the end of a mass. Pic: AP
In front of the main altar for the service, Francis waved to applauding crowds, before briefly talking.
Speaking in a frail voice while receiving oxygen via a small hose under his nose, he said: “Happy Sunday to everyone. Thank you so much.”
A message prepared by the Pope and released by the Vatican said he felt the “caring touch” of God.
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“On the day of the jubilee of the sick and the world of healthcare, I ask the Lord that this touch of his love may reach those who suffer and encourage those who care for them,” said the message.
“And I pray for doctors, nurses and health workers, who are not always helped to work in adequate conditions and are sometimes even victims of aggression.”
The IDF says it mistakenly identified a convoy of aid workers as a threat – following the emergence of a video which proved their ambulances were clearly marked when Israeli troops opened fire on them.
The bodies of 15 aid workers – including eight medics working for the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) – were found in a “mass grave” after the incident, according to the head of the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Jonathan Whittall.
The Israeli military originally claimed an investigation found the vehicles did not have any headlights or emergency signals and were therefore targeted as they looked “suspicious”.
But video footage obtained by the PRCS, and verified by Sky News, showed the ambulances and a fire vehicle clearly marked with flashing red lights.
In a briefing from the IDF, it said the ambulances arrived in the Tel Sultan neighbourhood in Rafah shortly after a Hamas police vehicle drove through.
Image: Palestinians mourning the medics after their bodies were recovered. Pic: Reuters
An IDF surveillance aircraft was watching the movement of the ambulances and notified troops on the ground. The IDF said it will not be releasing that footage.
When the ambulances arrived, the soldiers opened fire, thinking the medics were a threat, according to the IDF.
The soldiers were surprised by the convoy stopping on the road and several people getting out quickly and running, the IDF claimed, adding the soldiers were unaware the suspects were in fact unarmed medics.
An Israeli military official would not say how far away troops were when they fired on the vehicles.
The IDF acknowledged that its statement claiming that the ambulances had their lights off was incorrect, and was based on the testimony from the soldiers in the incident.
The newly emerged video footage showed that the ambulances were clearly identifiable and had their lights on, the IDF said.
The IDF added that there will be a re-investigation to look into this discrepancy.
Image: The clip is filmed through a vehicle windscreen – with three red light vehicles visible in front
Addressing the fact the aid workers’ bodies were buried in a mass grave, the IDF said in its briefing this is an approved and regular practice to prevent wild dogs and other animals from eating the corpses.
The IDF could not explain why the ambulances were also buried.
The IDF said six of the 15 people killed were linked to Hamas, but revealed no detail to support the claim.
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1:22
Bodies of aid workers found in Gaza
The newly emerged footage of the incident was discovered on a phone belonging to one of the workers who was killed, PRCS president Dr Younis Al Khatib said.
“His phone was found with his body and he recorded the whole event,” he said. “His last words before being shot, ‘Forgive me, mom. I just wanted to help people. I wanted to save lives’.”
Sky News used an aftermath video and satellite imagery to verify the location and timing of the newly emerged footage of the incident.
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2:43
Aid worker attacks increasing
It was filmed on 23 March north of Rafah and shows a convoy of marked ambulances and a fire-fighting vehicle travelling south along a road towards the city centre. All the vehicles visible in the convoy have their flashing lights on.
The footage was filmed early in the morning, with a satellite image seen by Sky News taken at 9.48am local time on the same day showing a group of vehicles bunched together off the road.