Israel marks third anniversary of October 7 attacks

Israel held nationwide ceremonies on October 7 to mark the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attack that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 people taken hostage into Gaza, with gatherings taking place at attack sites, in Jerusalem and elsewhere across the country.¹²

Ceremonies at attack sites

Families met at daybreak at the Nova festival grounds, where the attack killed more than 300 people, observing silence and paying tribute beside images of slain attendees and security staff. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett attended the ceremony in Re'im. At Kfar Aza, another site targeted in the assault, mourners silently watched an Israeli flag being raised. Residents there gathered at 6:29am, the time the attack began, for a commemorative event.¹

Commemorations were also reported at road junctions and bomb shelters. In Tel Aviv, the plaza known as Hostages Square, a focal point of campaigning for the release of captives during the Gaza war, was due to be renamed Memory Square. A further memorial was scheduled for Yarkon Park that evening, while President Isaac Herzog met bereaved families and described the anniversary as a time to remember and not forget.¹³

Government message and political pressure

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, took part in state memorial events in Jerusalem. According to Deutsche Welle, he said Israel would not forgive the attackers and would not accept Hamas rule in Gaza again. Separately, the South China Morning Post reported him saying: "There will be no Hamas rule in Gaza" and that remaining missions would be completed. Hamas issued a statement describing October 7 as a significant day in Palestinian history and characterising the attack as a response to decades of suffering in Gaza, according to Deutsche Welle.¹⁴

The anniversary coincided with renewed criticism of Netanyahu's government over the failure to prevent the attack. Members of the October Council, representing former hostages' and victims' families, demonstrated outside the Knesset to demand an independent inquiry. The Straits Times reported that polling indicated broad support across Israel's political spectrum for a body to determine responsibility, while Netanyahu's government had long declined to establish such a commission. The country is due to hold elections on October 27, according to Deutsche Welle.¹³

War's continuing toll

The October 7 attack was followed by Israel's war in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 74,243 Palestinians had been killed during the war. Deutsche Welle reported that more than 74,000 Palestinians had been killed, citing the territory's Health Ministry, and said around half were women and children and that most of Gaza's population had been displaced. Palestinian officials reported that Israeli strikes killed two people in Gaza on the anniversary day; one was identified as a volunteer with an emergency rescue agency under Hamas.¹²

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said of the October 7 attacks, "Nothing can justify these atrocities." UN News reported that he also called for a permanent ceasefire, saying the October 2025 ceasefire had brought some relief but had not delivered security, sufficient humanitarian assistance or a credible route to recovery and peace. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz reaffirmed support for Israel while calling for a political settlement based on a Palestinian state alongside Israel, according to Deutsche Welle.¹⁵