Three Years After October 7, Israelis Balance Grief With a Fragile Sense of Safety

Three years after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, Israelis are marking the anniversary with a mixture of mourning, remembrance and a renewed focus on the resilience that has carried them through the intervening period. In a France 24 segment broadcast on the anniversary date, correspondents described a society still processing profound loss while attempting to rebuild a sense of normalcy and security.

The report, titled around the themes of resilience and the "sense that we can be safe," captured two intertwined dynamics: the enduring pain of families who lost loved ones in the attacks, and the broader national conversation about whether safety can be restored in the communities near Gaza and beyond. The French broadcaster's coverage emphasized that the anniversary is not only a moment of commemoration but also a test of how far Israeli society has come since the deadliest single day in its history.

October 7, 2023, saw Hamas fighters break through the Gaza perimeter fence and attack Israeli communities, killing roughly 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. The assault triggered an Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has since reshaped the region's politics and drawn sustained international scrutiny. Three years on, the fate of remaining hostages and the recovery of those killed remain live and painful issues for many Israeli families, and the anniversary has brought those questions back to the center of public attention.

France 24's coverage included testimony from a former Israeli hostage who spoke to the network. Such firsthand accounts have become a central part of how Israelis and international audiences understand the events of October 7 and the prolonged captivity that followed. Former hostages have described conditions of isolation, uncertainty and fear, while their families have campaigned for their release and for accountability. Their voices add a human dimension to a day that is otherwise dominated by official ceremonies and political statements.

Alongside the mourning, the network's reporting highlighted what it described as the resilience of Israelis — the capacity of individuals and communities to continue functioning amid grief, displacement and ongoing security concerns. Resilience in this context is not simply endurance; it also includes the practical work of rebuilding damaged communities, supporting bereaved families, and restoring public services and spaces that were shattered during the attacks. The phrase "the sense that we can be safe" reflects an aspiration that many Israelis say has been shaken over the past three years.

The anniversary comes at a time when the wider region remains volatile. France 24's Middle East coverage in the days surrounding the commemoration included reports of renewed fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and the Houthis around a key strait, Houthi claims of attacks on Aramco facilities in Riyadh, and warnings from Human Rights Watch about what it called a "collective global detention crisis" involving ISIS suspects in Iraq. These developments underscore how the October 7 attacks and their aftermath have rippled across the Middle East, affecting alliances, military calculations and humanitarian conditions far beyond Israel and Gaza.

In Iraq, the network reported on the "outsourced" justice faced by ISIS suspects, a topic that intersects with broader debates about security, detention and international law in the post-2023 regional order. Meanwhile, the reported withdrawal of American forces from Iraq — described by one analyst as a "massive strategic and tactical mistake" because Iran's influence would remain — illustrates how the regional balance of power continues to shift. For Israeli planners, these dynamics form the strategic backdrop against which they assess threats and opportunities.

The human toll of the conflict was also evident in other France 24 reports from the region. Passengers on a flydubai flight described a harrowing experience after the aircraft was rerouted, in what was described as an "attempted terror attack." Such incidents, occurring alongside the anniversary, reinforce the sense among many Israelis that security threats are persistent and multifaceted, extending well beyond the Gaza frontier.

Domestically, the anniversary has prompted renewed debate about the failures that preceded October 7. Questions about intelligence, military readiness, political decision-making and the protection of border communities remain unresolved for many Israelis. Commemoration events have provided a platform for families of victims and hostages to demand answers, and for critics to argue that lessons must be learned if future attacks are to be prevented. The resilience highlighted in the France 24 report coexists with this accountability impulse.

The international dimension is equally significant. The October 7 anniversary invites reflection on how the world has responded over three years — through diplomatic initiatives, humanitarian aid, military support and sanctions. France 24's reporting on the anniversary sits within a broader stream of coverage that includes Israeli preparations to mark the date, the testimony of former hostages and analysis of regional flashpoints. Together, these elements show that the events of October 7 continue to shape global headlines and policy debates.

For Israelis, the meaning of the anniversary is deeply personal. For some, it is a day of collective mourning for those killed and a vigil for those still held captive. For others, it is a moment to honor the first responders, soldiers and civilians who acted amid chaos. And for many, it is an occasion to ask whether the country's sense of safety can be rebuilt — not only through military measures but through community solidarity, mental health support and a renewed social contract.

The France 24 segment's framing — combining "resilience" with the longing for safety — captures this complexity. Resilience can be a source of pride, but it can also mask exhaustion and unresolved trauma. As Israelis mark three years since the attacks, the challenge is to sustain both remembrance and recovery, honoring the losses of October 7 while working toward a future in which the phrase "we can be safe" is not merely an aspiration but a lived reality. The coming months, with their political and security uncertainties, will test whether that balance can hold.