Israel pauses in moment of silence to remember those killed on 7 October
Israelis marked the third anniversary of the October 7 Hamas-led attack with moments of silence and reflection. The event highlighted the ongoing trauma of the conflict, which has since resulted in significant casualties and displacement in Gaza.
Why it matters
This anniversary underscores the deep-seated regional instability and the ongoing humanitarian crisis affecting both Israelis and Palestinians.
Israelis gathered in a moment of silence on Wednesday to mark three years since the Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023, which a UN inquiry confirmed killed 1,200 people and saw 252 taken hostage.In southern Israel, families mourned at road junctions, bomb shelters and the site of the Nova music festival, all places overrun by militants in the deadliest attack against Israel.It is the first anniversary on which all the hostages that survived have returned home, bringing a new phase of mourning.Among those marking the day was Elkana Bohbot, 37, who was abducted from the Nova festival and is spending the anniversary in Israel for the first time. He was freed last year after 738 days in captivity, most of it in a tunnel 50 metres underground.
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