Israel observed memorials across the nation on Monday to honour the anniversary of the severe attack led by Hamas on the southern regions of Israel on October 7th a year ago. The country reported that the assault accounted for the loss of roughly 1,200 lives, with the majority being civilians. Additionally, over 250 individuals were captured and held hostage in Gaza. As of now, about 100 hostages are still believed to be held in Gaza, and it has been reported that some have not survived.
A prominent memorial service, orchestrated by the families of the victims, took place at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv. Songs and personal accounts from family members featured in the ceremony. Due to the ongoing threat of rocket attacks, attendance was restricted to a maximum of 2,000 people. The event was streamed live and viewed throughout various communities in Israel.
Yigal Cohen, whose daughter Hadar Cohen, a female soldier, was killed at the Nahal Oz military base near the Gaza border, expressed his grief and frustration. He stated their daughters were essentially left for dead and their blood calls out to them. He pledged to do everything in his power to hold those who are responsible accountable.
At the exact time of the first Hamas rocket attack from Gaza one year ago, 6:29am, several hundred protestors assembled near Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem. They demanded a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages.
Simultaneously, family members came together at the location of the Nova music festival near the Gaza border. This was the site of the deadliest individual attack on October 7th where 364 lives were taken. The gathering commenced with a playback of the last musical piece played at the festival prior to the attack. The Jewish Yizkor memorial prayer was said and the national flag was set at half-mast to remember the victims.
The seizing of forty individuals at the festival was reported, along with the death of Idan Shtivi, 28, who was kidnapped from the same festival was confirmed by the IDF. Shtivi had assisted two others in fleeing the scene before being captured and killed, with his body being transported to Gaza.
In a recent government assembly, Netanyahu proposed a name for the conflict with Hamas and Iran’s allies: the War of Revival. This proclamation was met with reproach by opposition frontman Yair Lapid who argued that until all kidnap victims and evacuees could return to their dwelling places, there could be no talk of revival. He vehemently highlighted that no re-branding could disguise the disastrous catastrophe that had happened on the current administration’s watch, the worst since Israel’s founding.
The fifth of October saw five acquaintances meet their demise, a statement from Hamas leader Khaled Mashal proclaimed that the October 7th atrocities were an indicator of a collective escalation in resistance against Israel and a bolstering of their abilities. He asserted that the ‘Al-Aqsa tidal wave’ had reset Israel’s situation and posed a vital dilemma, with numerous Israelis contemplation leaving the country.
President of the USA, Joe Biden assured all that the US administration would continue their efforts until each of the remaining kidnap victims was safety returned. He expressed in a statement his support for Israel’s entitlement to protect itself from attacks propelled by Hizbullah, Hamas, the Houthis and Iran.
The Vice President of the USA, Kamala Harris tagged the attack as pure malice in her published remarks. She characterised the attack as being ruthless and utterly repulsive, reigniting a profound apprehension amongst the global Jewish community.
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, dubbed October 7th as “the most catastrophic attack on Jews since the Holocaust”, commentating that women and girls had been sexually violated and pointed out the indescribable evil of Hamas’s transgressions.