The fifth season of the Israeli series Fauda is set against the backdrop of Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks and the trauma experienced in Israel. The season unfolds in Israel and abroad and reportedly places a stronger emphasis on the Israeli perspective than earlier seasons. Critics said the new episodes were less nuanced than previous seasons. David Halbfinger, The New York Times’ Israel bureau chief, said the makers appeared to have made less effort to give viewers reasons to sympathize with the people being pursued. The series follows a retired Israeli senior agent searching for a Palestinian fighter he believed he had killed, while an Israeli army special unit infiltrates Palestinian communities to uncover Hamas fighters.