Though long used to war, Israel was blindsided by the multi-pronged attack by Hamas gunmen in which hundreds were killed.
One mother spoke with Reuters after giving her DNA sample and handing over a brush with hair follicles from her son, who was at an outdoor dance party that was stormed by Hamas gunmen.
Outside the police center, a man prayed with a rabbi as his fiancee filled in a report for her missing brother.
Its location was Khan Younis, a city in Gaza.
"I surely identified my wife, my two daughters and my mother-in-law on some kind of a cart, and terrorists of Hamas all around them," he said.
Persons:
Yoni Asher, Miro Maman, Nir Oz, Khan Younis, Hugh Lawson
Organizations:
REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson
Locations:
Gaza, Ganot Hadar, Israel, Airport City