Israel marks anniversary of Hamas attack on Oct. 7, one year later
Throughout the country, ceremonies were conducted as violence persisted, with new rocket attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah and Israeli responses ongoing.
Israelis honored the first anniversary of the deadly Hamas attack on October 7 that initiated a war that still rages on.
Events nationwide commenced with a moment of silence at 6:29 a.m., signifying the exact time a year prior when Hamas launched rockets, enabling 3,000 terrorists to breach Gaza into Israel, resulting in 1,200 casualties and over 200 abductions.
Per the directive of Israel’s Home Front Command, the moment was observed without sirens due to their frequent daily use. In Israel, national memorial sirens are typically reserved for Holocaust Remembrance Day and Memorial Day.
Israel’s adversaries attested to the day with rocket assaults targeting Israel.
Hamas initiated a substantial attack with four missiles on border communities at 6:30 a.m., followed by five more later in the morning. The initial barrage was intercepted or landed in open areas.
The subsequent wave targeted Tel Aviv and its surroundings in central Israel, resulting in two rockets striking Holon and Kibbutz Kfar Chabad near Ben Gurion Airport, causing injuries to two individuals.
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Hezbollah targeted the Haifa region by launching 135 rockets at Israel by 5 p.m. on Monday, as reported by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In response, Israel struck 120 Hezbollah locations in southern Lebanon according to the IDF.
Hezbollah’s initial missile assault aimed at a military base south of Haifa and Tiberias. The subsequent wave targeted northern Haifa areas, resulting in ten reported injuries.
Several heavily impacted communities, such as Kibbutz Be’eri, Kibbutz Nir Oz, and Ofakim, carried out ceremonies nationwide.
The site of the Nova music festival, Kibbutz Reim, also held a ceremony. The festival, dubbed a rave by some, turned into a scene of severe Hamas atrocities and mass casualties.
Among the 1,200 lives lost that day, 364 perished at the music festival site, surpassing the 274 IDF soldiers who fell on October 7 defending their bases or reclaiming overrun territories.
The music festival area has been transformed into a memorial park showcasing victims’ photos, with friends and family creating personalized tributes around individual posters.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog participated in commemorating the Nova attack.
Herzog condemned the events of October 7, 2023, emphasizing the brutality and inhumanity displayed by thousands of terrorists who invaded homes, endangered families, and committed heinous acts, including abductions, affecting individuals from 36 nationalities.
He called for the safe return of around 100 hostages, a majority of whom are presumed alive, with 35 believed deceased but unaccounted for.
Herzog urged global support for Israel’s battle against its enemies to reshape history and foster peace in the region.
“We are championing the free world, striving for a brighter regional future and a peaceful tomorrow,” he expressed.
People pause at a battle-scarred home at the Kibbutz Be’eri, an Israeli communal farm on the Gaza border, on Oct. 7, 2024, as Israel marks the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg
He urged support to combat enemies and establish a peaceful future for the region.
(L–R) Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in Israel on Oct. 7, 2024.Courtesy of Israel Government Press Office.
Herzog received a call from President Joe Biden, expressing solidarity and offering condolences.
At the event, participants listened to the final festival song, a drum-and-bass track released as a tribute to the victims.
Flags were flown at half-mast at Israel’s Knesset building.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at a modest ceremony in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu faced criticism for security lapses leading to October 7 and for unresolved hostage situations.
Protesters, including families of hostages still captive, conducted a gathering near Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence. A larger protest in Tel Aviv was downscaled due to missile threats from Iran and Hezbollah.
Eli Albag, whose daughter Liri Albag is among five surveillance soldiers kidnapped, expressed the anguish of still-missing captives.
Netanyahu also met with a bipartisan U.S. senatorial delegation led by Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal.
Blumenthal affirmed support for Israel’s defense rights, while Graham emphasized the need to prevent further tragedies targeting Jewish individuals.
“The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.”
