Israel will mark the first anniversary of the devastating October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the ongoing Gaza war, which has now engulfed neighboring Lebanon, creating a regional crisis.
President Isaac Herzog will lead a memorial service at Sderot, one of the cities most severely affected by the onslaught of Palestinian militants.
A rally calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is scheduled to take place at Beeri, a kibbutz community where over 100 people lost their lives during the attack.
Additionally, a memorial service will be held at kibbutz Reim, the site of the Nova music festival where hundreds of people were brutally murdered by militants.
In Israel’s commercial hub, Tel Aviv, families of hostages still held captive in Gaza will stage a demonstration to demand their release. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to deliver a televised address to the nation on Monday, although details of official events to commemorate the painful anniversary remain unclear.
President Herzog emphasized the ongoing impact of the attack, stating, “Our wounds still cannot fully heal because they are ongoing. Because hostages are still being tortured, executed, and dying in captivity… In many senses, we are all still living the aftermath of October 7.”
On that fateful day, Hamas militants launched a coordinated assault by land, air, and sea, crossing the border from Gaza into Israel during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The confirmed death toll from the attack, including hostages killed in captivity, has reached 1,205 on the Israeli side, with the majority being civilians.
Militants abducted 251 hostages on October 7, with 97 still captive in Gaza, including 33 confirmed dead by the Israeli military. The attack targeted army bases, kibbutz communities, and the Nova music festival, resulting in at least 370 fatalities.
Within hours of the attack, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that Israel was “at war” and launched a military campaign aimed at destroying Hamas. The relentless offensive on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 41,825 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian territory’s health ministry.
The conflict has displaced nearly 2.4 million residents of Gaza, worsening the humanitarian crisis. Israel’s military has reported 348 soldier fatalities since its ground offensive began in Gaza on October 27.
The war has expanded to Israel’s border with Lebanon, with Iran-backed Hezbollah launching rocket attacks. Cross-border violence has displaced over 60,000 people inside Israel. Israel has targeted and assassinated key Hezbollah commanders, including leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Iran fired approximately 200 missiles at Israel on October 1, its second direct attack on the country in less than six months. Iran cited retaliation for Nasrallah’s killing and the death of former Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran in July.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed that “the resistance in the region will not back down… and will win.”
