Israel is marking the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage.
Memorial events are being held across Israel to remember those killed and taken hostage during the attack. The commemorations began with a nationwide minute of silence at 6:29 a.m. local time, marking the time the attacks began.
At Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities attacked on October 7, families and survivors gathered to remember those who died. The widow of one victim recalled the moment her husband stopped answering his phone, saying that everything she later learned about what happened came through other people’s accounts.
People are also visiting the site of the Nova music festival, where 378 people were killed and 44 others were taken hostage during the attack.
The October 7 assault triggered the war in Gaza, with Israel launching a military offensive in response. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than 74,200 people have been killed in the territory since the conflict began.
Three years later, large parts of Gaza have been devastated by the war, with the territory bearing little resemblance to the Gaza that existed before the conflict, according to BBC correspondent Rushdi Abualouf.
International media access to Gaza remains heavily restricted. Israel does not allow international news organizations, including the BBC, to freely enter the territory to independently report from the ground.
The anniversary comes as Israel continues to remember the victims of October 7, while the consequences of the attack and the ensuing war continue to shape the lives of Israelis and Palestinians.
Original article
Comments