October 7 Photographic Chronicle of War

A visual record for future generations by Ziv Koren Saturday morning, October 7, 2023. The State of Israel is engulfed in chaos, caught between uncertainty and helplessness. Ziv Koren, the acclaime d press and documentary photographer, knew he had just one mission: to be on the ground, right in the heart of the action. He grabbed his camera, jumped on his motorcycle, and raced southward. Within less than an hour, he would be one of the first photographers to witness the horrors unfolding in Israel’s southern settlements, capturing gunfights against Hamas terrorists and documenting scenes that would forever be imprinted on the national memory. This marked the beginning of an extraordinary, unprecedented documentary project. Koren set out to document the daily horrors and the war that followed. Throughout this project, he took over a quarter of a million photographs—capturing the devastation in the border settlements, the frantic escape routes from the Nova Festival, IDF assembly areas, urban warfare in Gaza, the mobilized home front, and cities under missile bombardment. He chronicled funerals, efforts to recover the kidnapped, and the injured in rehabilitation centers, ensuring every aspect of the story of autumn-winter 2023/4 was told: Israel at war. Approximately 400 selected photographs from this period are now being compiled in a new, 300- page book in large coffee table format (32x24 cm) with premium specifications. Some of the photographs were published in the Israeli and international press, and others will be shown here for the first time. Alongside the photographs, the book will include texts written by Koren and other authors. October Seventh marks the twenty-second publication by Ziv Koren. Ziv, a globally acclaimed photographer known for his coverage of major events such as the Haiti earthquake, the Southeast Asia tsunami, the war in Ukraine, and Israel’s battle against COVID-19. This book is a compelling documentary tapestry of one of the most pivotal moments in Israeli history. It serves as a photographic diary of a period filled with pain and upheaval, where grief, hope, and the glow of heroism are intricately intertwined. Most importantly, it stands as an extraordinary historical and visual record that unfolds a new chapter in the annals of the nation, capturing the scale of the moment, the depth of division, and the essence of the Israeli spirit. This touching documentary promises to serve as a legacy for generations to come.