In Madrid this Monday, a briefing by the Israeli Embassy in Spain screened for a small group of journalists a 43-minute video detailing the Hamas assault of October 7. The footage shows gunfire directed at unarmed civilians at close range, the destruction of homes with grenades, kidnappings, and the parade of captives after their return to the Gaza Strip. The compilation also includes forensic photographs of victims. The same video was shown in at least twelve other cities, including New York, London, Athens, and Jerusalem.
Organizers described the material as sourced from body cameras used by Hamas operatives, security footage from homes and streets in the attacked area near the Gaza border, vehicle cameras, and clips obtained from social networks and mobile devices belonging to militants or their families. Much of the imagery had already appeared on platforms such as Telegram or X (formerly Twitter).
“We don’t want to surprise you or gain your sympathy. We want you to understand who we are fighting against,” stated Dan Poraz, Undersecretary of the Israeli Embassy in Madrid. “We want you to see why we must end Hamas. We attacked Gaza not for revenge, but because living beside a murderous terrorist state like ISIS is unacceptable.”
The second-ranking official of the Israeli delegation in Spain affirmed that Israel had taken steps to minimize civilian casualties among Palestinians in the attack. A month into this new phase of the conflict, the death toll in Gaza rose to at least ten thousand, with the territory still under siege and basic supplies such as water, electricity, and food severely restricted. Poraz claimed that Hamas headquarters were located beneath Al-Shifa hospital — the large facility in Gaza City known to house thousands of refugees and patients.
Hunting
Within the video compilation, a central thread is emphasized; some elements appear as sound-only segments against a black background. One sequence follows a Hamas militant identified as Mahmud, who has often boasted to his family about his actions since the initial assault. In a recorded conversation kept on a victim’s device, Mahmud speaks with his father while describing the massacre.
The exchange reveals a vivid sense of triumph. He tells his father: “Look at my WhatsApp, see how many people I killed with my own hands!” The father responds, “Allah is great.” The recurring Arabic chant, takbir, resonates throughout the 43-minute recording, with expressions of faith intertwined with the message.
The father repeats, “Allah is great,” as the son adds: “I’m calling you from a Jewish woman’s phone. I killed her and her husband. Ten with my own hands.” The father answers, “Allah is great. Pray to God.”
“I killed ten people,” the militant goes on, asking his father to pray for them. The father pleads for faith and safety. The militant asks his mother to come, and a tearful ringtone plays. “Mom, your son is a hero,” the son proclaims, while the father urges him to return. The son insists, “There’s no going back. It’s the victory of the martyrs.”
By hair
Israeli authorities categorize the atrocities into three types: roadside killings, kibbutz attacks, and festival assaults. A soldier’s GoPro captures a rescue operation at a concert venue, where the aftermath shows victims lying still, blood spattered on tables and surfaces. The rescuer moves through the room, calling out for signs of life as survivors are searched for.
Image captions describe a hostage-taking scene during the October 7 attack. The footage is treated as evidence in the briefing, illustrating the severity of the incident.
Diplomatic representatives outlined in their remarks that Hamas and ISIS share a public messaging trajectory. The material shows militants driving Toyotas and moving toward targets, drawing comparisons to other insurgent operations and presenting the attackers as organized and relentless.
A helmet-mounted GoPro reveals moments of extreme cruelty, including the capture and mistreatment of hostages. The footage shows captives being moved in the back of a truck while the attackers celebrate. On the road toward Gaza, some militants voice triumph as the victims react with shock.
One especially brutal moment depicts a perpetrator attempting to kill a victim with a tool, resulting in a deadly injury. The narration emphasizes terror and the brutal consequences of the assault.
Call to Congress
The Madrid event on Tuesday at 13:00 was framed as a response to what organizers described as the deadliest attack on Israel in half a century. A month after the incident, the Israeli delegation in Spain organized a series of gatherings to honor those who died and to remind attendees that people remain held in Gaza. More than 240 civilians and others remain unaccounted for, with ongoing captivity and danger for both Israelis and foreigners noted.
The organizers’ notice invited participants to three simultaneous demonstrations in Madrid: a rally in front of the Qatar Embassy with attendees urged to wear black and display photographs of abducted individuals in silent protest; a demonstration in front of the Congress of Deputies featuring a table with 241 empty chairs awaiting the return of hostages; and an event in front of the European Parliament featuring balloons and dolls bearing photographs of kidnapped children.
Children are presented as among the most affected by the October 7 attacks on kibbutzim near the northern Gaza border. The footage includes intense scenes of two siblings seeking shelter with their father; a grenade is tossed, and the father shields the children as it explodes. Blood covers the siblings, who cry and seek water, while a responder checks for signs of life and later witnesses the aftermath in the home’s kitchen.
As the family endures trauma, the siblings’ distress is vivid. A sibling asks another to drink water while the injured child remains in need of care. The scene underscores the human impact of the violence and the lasting pain endured by the survivors.
Note: The content above includes descriptions of graphic violence intended to document events and inform audiences about the consequences of the conflict. Citations accompany this report to acknowledge source materials and official briefings.