Israel Commemorates Third Anniversary of October 7 Attack Amid Renewed Gaza Strikes and Looming Elections

Israel on Wednesday marked three years since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that shattered the country's sense of security, holding subdued memorial ceremonies at the sites of the worst massacres while political leaders intensified their campaigns ahead of national elections. The anniversary unfolded against a backdrop of renewed Israeli strikes on Gaza, despite a ceasefire agreement that has officially been in place for the past year, underscoring the fragility of the current calm.

At the Nova music festival site in southern Israel, where Hamas militants arriving in trucks and motorized paragliders opened fire at around dawn three years ago, grieving family members gathered in quiet reflection. Some bowed their heads in silence, while others sought more personal forms of tribute. Anna Davitashvili, a 53-year-old mother, chose to honor her eldest son Shaun — killed at age 25 alongside friends at the festival — by playing the final techno track that partygoers had been dancing to when the attack began. "I feel him here. I'm terribly sorry that I couldn't save him, I couldn't help him get out of this massacre," she said, tears welling in her eyes.

The timing of the assault — 6:29 a.m. local time — remains seared into the memories of survivors and bereaved families. Katia Zohar, whose 23-year-old daughter Bar was killed that day, described it as "the minute that changed our lives forever." She recounted the harrowing sequence of events: her daughter first calling to ask to be picked up because missiles were in the air, then calling again from the road, screaming that gunmen were shooting at her. "Sadly I remember everything," Zohar said.

Similar scenes of mourning played out at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, another community devastated by the assault. At both locations, AFP reporters heard the sound of loud explosions carrying across the border from Gaza as Israel conducted new military strikes, even as a ceasefire has nominally held for a year. Gaza health officials reported that five people were killed in the strikes on a territory that has been largely reduced to rubble by relentless bombing campaign launched in retaliation for the deadliest single attack in Israel's history.

As evening fell, a memorial ceremony organized by survivors and bereaved families drew several thousand people to a park in Tel Aviv. The event, broadcast across Israel's major television networks, featured songs, tributes and video presentations. It was co-hosted by Eli Sharabi, a former hostage who lost his wife and two daughters in the attack and whose brother was killed while in Hamas captivity in Gaza. "Tonight, we embrace the memory of those murdered and those who fell in battle, and we embrace those who were wounded and still bear the scars," Sharabi told the crowd.

The anniversary carried unmistakable political overtones. Israel's main opposition candidates attended the Tel Aviv ceremony, including Gadi Eisenkot, the principal rival to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the Nova site, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett — who is seeking to unseat Netanyahu — told reporters that the attack represented "a colossal failure of the state of Israel, which was established to defend Jews in our land." The centre-left Democrats Party posted online footage of the attack without commentary, letting the images speak for themselves.

Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats, sharpened the political critique, declaring: "A government that for three years has not destroyed Hamas's rule is a government dangerous to Israel." The comments reflect a broader political dynamic in which the October 7 failures — and the ongoing threat posed by Hamas — have become central issues in the approaching election campaign. Netanyahu, for his part, lit a memorial candle at his office in Jerusalem and issued a statement striking a solemn and defiant tone. "On this day, the people are united in remembrance and longing for our loved ones," he said, adding: "We will complete the mission: we are here and we will hold all the murderers to account."

International reaction came swiftly from Washington. US President Donald Trump said he had spoken with Netanyahu and described October 7 as "a horrible tragedy." Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House, Trump added: "The other side is paying a very big price for what they did on October 7, believe me."

Hamas, meanwhile, remained unrepentant on the third anniversary. In a statement, the group called October 7 "a glorious day of our people's history" and characterized it as "a natural response to, and culmination of, decades of bitter suffering." The defiant language signaled that the militant group has no intention of renouncing the tactics employed in the assault, even as Gaza lies in ruins and its population has been displaced almost entirely.

The scale of the October 7 attack helps explain its profound and lasting impact on Israeli society. According to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, 1,221 people were killed when Palestinian fighters breached the border, storming southern Israel with gunfire, rockets and grenades. Militants also dragged 251 hostages back into Gaza, 44 of whom were already dead. The attack represented the worst single-day loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust and exposed catastrophic intelligence and military failures that many Israelis believe remain unaddressed.

Israel's military response has been devastating for Gaza. The campaign has displaced nearly the entire population of the enclave and killed more than 74,200 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authority but whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations. Much of Gaza's infrastructure has been destroyed, and the territory's humanitarian crisis continues to deepen, even as the ceasefire has reduced — though not eliminated — the level of violence.

The third anniversary thus serves as both a moment of national mourning and a political inflection point. For the families of the victims, the pain remains raw and immediate. For Israeli voters, the question of who can best prevent another such attack — and who bears responsibility for the one that occurred — will weigh heavily as they head to the polls. And for Gaza's civilians, the anniversary offers little comfort, as strikes continue and reconstruction remains a distant prospect.

As the commemorations concluded and the political battle lines hardened, one thing was clear: three years after October 7, the attack continues to shape Israel's national psyche, its security doctrine and its domestic politics. The memorial candles may have been extinguished, but the consequences of that day — for Israel, for Gaza, and for the broader Middle East — remain very much alive.