ISRAEL on Tuesday marked the second anniversary of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack with mourning and memorials, as the war in Gaza continues with no end in sight and dozens of hostages still held captive.
AP reported on Wednesday that thousands gathered across the country, particularly at the Nova music festival site and in Tel Aviv, to honour the 1,200 victims of the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
The anniversary was observed along the Gregorian calendar, while an official government ceremony is scheduled for next week in accordance with the Hebrew calendar.
The split in commemoration reflects Israel’s internal divisions, especially over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and the failure to secure a ceasefire deal.
“Agreeing a deal would end the war and bring everybody home,” said Shay Dickmann, who lost family members in the initial assault. “We all deserve it.”
The Nova festival site, where nearly 400 people were killed and dozens abducted, has become a national memorial. At dawn, attendees played the same track that was playing when the attack began, observing a moment of silence at 6:29 a.m., the exact time the militants stormed in.
“We don’t need a specific day, because we live this every day anew,” said Alon Muskinov, who lost three friends at the festival.
In Kibbutz Nir Oz, mourners visited the burnt remains of homes, including that of the Siman Tov family, where all five members were killed.
Yehuda Rahmani, whose daughter Sharon – a police officer – was killed at the festival, said he visits the site daily. “When you don’t know what happened, it makes it so much harder,” he said, expressing frustration at the government’s failure to launch an inquiry into the security failures that led to the breach.
The war that followed the attack has caused immense destruction in Gaza. More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The UN and humanitarian organisations report that women and children account for roughly half the casualties, and that famine is now present in northern Gaza.
Gaza’s population of two million has been almost entirely displaced, many multiple times. Aid remains severely restricted. “We’ve lost the beautiful moments. Our life has become hell upon hell,” said Ghassan Abu Rejeila, a displaced resident.
Doctors on the ground have described unimaginable suffering. “I don’t know how we will recover,” said Maha Shbeir, a doctor at Nasser Hospital.
Israel, which says it is acting in self-defence, denies allegations of genocide but remains under international scrutiny. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, accusing them of using starvation as a method of war. Israel has dismissed the charges, insisting Hamas is responsible for the suffering of civilians by embedding its forces in populated areas.
The attack by Hamas on 7 October – which included raids on military bases, kibbutzim and a music festival – triggered a chain of events that has widened into a regional conflict. Over the past two years, Israel has engaged in military operations against Iran’s allies across Lebanon and Syria, reportedly killing senior Hezbollah leaders, Iranian generals and nuclear scientists. A brief war in June saw Israel and the United States launch strikes against Iran’s military and nuclear sites.
Despite Israeli claims of having crippled Hamas and reclaimed large areas of Gaza, 48 hostages remain in captivity, with about 20 believed to still be alive. Hamas says it will not release them without a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal – a demand Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected.
In Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, indirect talks between Israel and Hamas continued this week, reportedly discussing terms of a potential agreement aligned with a renewed peace initiative backed by US President Donald Trump.
Back in Israel, weekly protests continue to call for Netanyahu’s resignation, with families of hostages accusing the government of prolonging the war at the expense of those still in Gaza.
Israel today finds itself more politically fractured and internationally isolated than it has been in decades. Meanwhile, Palestinians remain caught in the crossfire, their hopes for statehood further dimmed despite symbolic recognition from some Western governments. - October 8, 2025
