National Library of Israel reports 169 new books, papers published about Oct 7 Hamas massacre

The Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants last year is widely considered the most traumatic event in Israel's modern history. It's not surprising that it has already received prominent coverage in print. According to a special National Library of Israel (NLI) report released on Sunday ahead of the first anniversary, 169 books and papers have already been published about the day Israelis now refer to as the "Black Shabbat."

The various publications include 30 nonfiction books, 42 research papers, 29 personal testimonies and accounts of heroism, 14 poetry collections and three children’s books. The works cover a diverse range of topics, including testimonies of Israeli hostages, stories of heroism, soldier's accounts, the rise of global antisemitism and anti-government protests.

The library expects that many more books and papers will be published about the Oct. 7 attack in the future.

The documentation of the Oct. 7 invasion and attack is not limited to print. In June, the creators of the popular Israeli TV show Fauda, Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, revealed that they have been tasked to write the script for an upcoming movie titled “October 7th.”

The documentary-style movie focuses on the retired IDF general Noam Tibon, who risked his life to save his son and his family when Hamas terrorists invaded their home community Nahal Oz, an Israeli rural community close to the Gaza border.

The trauma of the Oct. 7 attack has frequently been compared to the Yom Kippur War in October 1973 when Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated surprise attack on the State of Israel on the Jewish observance of the "Day of Atonement."

Approximately 300 books and reports about the Yom Kippur War were published during the first year following the war. During the past half century, thousands of books have been published about the Yom Kippur War in Hebrew, English and other languages.

The NLI plays a central role in preserving the collective memory of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Since Oct. 7, the library has established a vast archive that consists of some 500 million online items, including social media posts, videos and WhatsApp messages related to the unprecedented day.

In addition, the NLI has documented around two million digital files and thousands of printed materials, including booklets, flyers and posters.

The NLI launched "Lives Lost: The Works of the Victims of October 7," a project to honor individuals who lost their lives and were unable to complete their written works.

In addition, the NLI created an “October 7 Memorial Wall.”

Founded in Jerusalem in 1892, the National Library of Israel is considered to be the world’s most comprehensive library and research institution on books and publications concerning Israel, the Jewish people and the Middle East.

After years of expansion, the new library reopened its new state-of-the-art building just weeks after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.