Israel Commemorates Third Anniversary of October 7 Hamas Attacks

Families gathered at the Nova music festival site and other attack locations in memory of those killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Israel is marking the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Wednesday with memorials across the country. At the site of the Nova music festival, where more than 300 people were killed, families gathered at dawn for a moment of silence and paid tribute in front of portraits of both festival-goers and security forces who died on October 7. At the Kfar Aza kibbutz, another attack site, mourners watched in silence as an Israeli flag was raised. Others are expected to gather at intersections and bomb shelters to mark one of the deadliest attacks against Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage. The last living hostages were released a year ago under a US-brokered ceasefire deal. The anniversary of the attacks also comes just ahead of the October 27 elections in Israel. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday reaffirmed Germany's support for Israel on the anniversary, stating that the country stood firmly by Israel's side and was committed to preventing a repeat of the October 7 attack. "We stand for the security and existence of Israel," the German chancellor said. Merz also called for a political settlement, stating that peace and security in the region "can best be achieved through the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel." Warning of rising antisemitism in Germany, Merz said his government would "do everything in its power to consistently combat antisemitism in all its new and old forms." New Israeli strikes in Gaza on Wednesday killed two people, according to Palestinian officials. One of those killed was identified as a volunteer with the emergency rescue agency under Hamas. The European Union, as well as the United States, Germany, and other countries, classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. Israel's war in Gaza following the October 7 attacks has resulted in the deaths of more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to the territory's Health Ministry, with around half of them being women and children, and has displaced most of the population.