Hamas took hostages during their coordinated armed attacks into southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Approximately 250 Israeli civilians and soldiers were abducted and taken to the Gaza Strip during these incursions. These initial take hostages were part of a large-scale assault involving rocket fire and ground invasion by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.

Over the course of the following two years, some hostages have been released in stages, with exchanges and ceasefires occurring intermittently. The last living hostages were released by Hamas in October 2025, marking an end to the hostage crisis linked to the 2023 attacks.