The Israeli death toll has passed 1200, and more than 900 have been killed in Gaza, as of Wednesday afternoon.
There are others who are feared dead or injured and their whereabouts remains unknown.
Here is what we know about some of the people caught up in the conflict.
Galit Carbone
A grandmother living in a kibbutz settlement in southern Israel is the first Australian confirmed killed in the Hamas attack.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned the Hamas militants who "murdered" Galit Carbone, 66, at her home in Be'eri kibbutz, a scene of horrifying atrocities.
Carbone was found lying on the ground outside her home in the Be'eri kibbutz.
It's believed Carbone raised her three children at Be'eri, and previously worked at the settlement, just to the east of the Gaza border, as a librarian.
"On behalf of the government, I wish to convey my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Ms Carbone," Wong said in a statement today.
"Australia unequivocally condemns the attacks on Israel by Hamas. There is no excuse for the deliberate killing of innocent civilians.
"The loss of life from these attacks has been devastating and unacceptable."
Countries reeling
Many countries have reported deaths of their citizens who were in Israel at the time of the attacks.
The Philippines is mourning the deaths of two of its citizens in Israel, where thousands of Filipinos live and work, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said.
Manalo condemned the killings in a brief statement he posted on Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter, but did not provide other details about the deaths or the victims.
"The Philippines condemns the killing of two Filipino nationals and all other acts of terrorism and violence as a result of Hamas actions against Israel," Manalo said.
He added that the Philippines was ready to work with other countries toward a long-lasting resolution to the conflict, in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution.
Palestinian journalists
Palestinian news agency Wafa reported an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City killed two Palestinian journalists.
Wafa identified the journalists as editor Saeed Al-Taweel and photographer Mohammed Sobih.
The airstrike occurred close to an area housing several media offices.
Three more Palestinian journalists reportedly were shot and killed while reporting in Gaza on Saturday.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, citing Palestinian press freedom groups, identified two of them as photographer Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi and reporter Mohammad Jarghoun.
CPJ said it confirmed that freelance reporter Mohammad El-Salhi also was killed.
Lafi worked for Ain Media, and Jarghoun reported for Smart Media, CPJ said.
Tamar, Yonatan, Shachar, Arbel and Omer Kedem-Siman Tov
A family sheltering in a bunker as Hamas militants stormed their community in southern Israel were reportedly killed after sending a message reassuring their friends in Australia of their safety.
Tamar Kedem-Siman Tov, her husband Johnny, and their three children were locked in their safe room in the Nir Oz kibbutz when the attackers crossed the Israeli border on the weekend, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
9News spoke to their close friends in Sydney Yishai and Mor Lacob, who Tamar texted during the attack.
"Hi guys, we got into the shelter in our house, we're all going okay," Tamar texted her friends at 2.45pm AEDT.
But an hour later, she had fallen silent and the Lacobs were unable to contact her.
The Lacobs ultimately found out the devastating news that the Tov family's bunker had been breached and they had been among the hundreds of civilians killed in the attacks.
"We just couldn't believe it, we spoke to her just a few days before," Yishai Lacob told 9News.
"She was the most joyful person I ever met, the most caring person I ever met."
Their deaths have not been independently verified by Nine newspapers but have been reported in Israeli media and tributes have been made on social media.
"It's so hard to imagine that they're gone," Mor Lacob said.
"I would tell them that I love them and that I really hope they were not scared."
Shani Louk
An unconscious woman displayed by armed militants in Gaza as onlookers shouted "Allahu Akbar" is still alive, her mother says.
The identity of the woman was later confirmed to be German-Israeli national Shani Louk.
Her cousin Tom Weintraub Louk told the Washington Post she was missing after militants overran an outdoor dance party near Kibbutz Urim.
"We knew she was in the party. She didn't answer," her cousin said.
CNN has reported Louk's whereabouts or condition is not known at this time.
"We recognised her by the tattoos, and she has long dreadlocks," Louk's cousin told the Washington Post.
"We have some kind of hope… Hamas is responsible for her and the others."
The tattoo artist's mother has now claimed her daughter is alive but critically injured.
"We now have evidence that Shani is alive but has a serious head injury and is in critical condition," she told German newspaper Bild.
"Every minute is critical."
Lior Asulin
Former Israeli soccer player Lior Asulin was reportedly killed during the Hamas attack on the weekend.
Hapoel Tel Aviv FC addressed the news on X (formerly known as Twitter) and offered its condolences to the athlete's family.
"Great sadness, after many hours in which he was declared missing, it is now known that the club's former player Lior Asulin was murdered by terrorists at a party in Ra'im," a translated version of the message said.
"Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club bows its head and asks to send reinforcements to the members of Lior's family in their difficult time."
The player had a long sporting career spanning from 1997 to 2017.
Jake Marlowe
British citizen Jake Marlowe was at the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, which was attacked on Saturday.
The 26-year-old, who was working there as a security guard, has been missing since Saturday morning, his mother told the Israeli Embassy in the UK.
His parents have confirmed their worst fears have come to pass.
"We are heartbroken to have to inform you the crushing news that our son Jake has been confirmed dead in Southern Israel," Lisa and Michael Marlowe posted on Facebook.
"Repatriation plans are being put in to place, more information will follow."
His mother earlier told news outlet Jewish News that her son was providing security services at a party in the desert.
"He was doing security at this rave yesterday and called me at 4.30am to say all these rockets were flying over," his mother Lisa said.
"Then, at about 5.30am, he texted to say, 'signal very bad, everything OK, will keep you updated I promise you,' and that he loves me.
"I don't know what we're supposed to be doing. I've got people in Israel phoning the home guard command, others talking to others, everyone's just trying to help as much as they can."
Alexandre Look
Canadian man Alexandre Look was enjoying the outdoor music festival near the Gaza border on Saturday when Hamas militants began killing scores of people.
Look's parents, Raquel Ohnona Look and Alain Haim Look, told CNN news partner CBC they were on the phone with the 33-year-old as he tried to escape the gunfire.
Look and other festival-goers sought shelter in a bunker without a door, his parents said.
"And then I heard him tell his friends, 'They're coming back. There's a lot of them.' And then all I heard was a lot of gunshots, lots of rounds and then we heard nothing," Raquel Ohnona Look told CBC.
CBC reported that one woman who survived the attack messaged the parents to say she saw the son's body and another said he prevented others from being killed.
"He was our shield. I swear to you, he was our shield. If it wasn't for him, all 30 of us in there would be dead," a woman in the video, which was reviewed by CBC, told the parents.
