Trauma in the Middle East: The terror of Hamas and Israel's war in Gaza | Documentary

How was the attack on the Israeli state prepared? How was it even possible? To mark the first anniversary of the Hamas attack, the documentary film analyzes the failures of intelligence services, politics and the army.

Could the catastrophe have been prevented? What motivated Hamas to carry out the attack? And what was Israel’s response - with which consequences?

In the making of this film, directors Duki Dror and Jens Strohschnieder revisit scenes where the 7 October attack took place and speak to survivors, journalists and security experts.

For some Israelis, the gruesome events of that day are reminiscent of bloody pogroms and the Holocaust. For the Palestinians, the ensuing Israeli war in Gaza is triggering memories of the Nakba. The film poses the question of whether these traumas can explain the incomprehensible atrocities and the lack of empathy on both sides. Leading traumatologists worldwide try to explain the incomprehensible. Can there be any hope at all? "Hurt People Hurt People: October 7 and its Aftermath” looks at both sides of this spiral of violence - and tries to paint the big picture, which is often lost in the incessant stream of breaking news bulletins.