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Israelis are marking the third anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The attack prompted Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Despite a ceasefire that took effect a year ago and was intended to end the war permanently, conditions in Gaza remain dire.
Gunmen killed 1,200 people during the attacks and took 251 hostages to Gaza. It was the deadliest day in Israel’s history. According to Gaza health authorities, more than 74,000 people have been killed in the territory in Israel’s subsequent bombardments and ground operations.
A memorial ceremony will be held on Wednesday at the site of the Nova music festival, near the Gaza border. Gunmen killed 348 young people at the venue during the attack. An anniversary event will also take place at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv.
This is the first anniversary since none of the hostages held in Gaza are still alive or remain there. Living and deceased hostages were exchanged for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The remains of the last Israeli hostage were found in January.
The anniversary comes 20 days before Israel’s first election since the attack. The vote is being viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long tenure in power.
Netanyahu has not accepted responsibility for the security failures and has opposed calls for an independent inquiry. His position has fueled discontent in Israel, including among families who lost loved ones in the attacks. Some of them have joined the election race.
According to a poll by the Israel Democracy Institute, 68 percent of Jewish Israelis said the events of Oct. 7 were a “very important” or “fairly important” factor in deciding which party to vote for. Election polls suggest that, if a vote were held today, neither Netanyahu nor his main rivals would win enough seats to form a parliamentary coalition.
Ceasefire has not stopped attacks in Gaza
The anniversary is the first since a U.S.-mediated ceasefire agreement was reached on Oct. 10, 2025. The agreement halted large-scale fighting but has not stopped Israeli attacks on Gaza or secured the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups.
Under the agreement, Israel controls about 53 percent of Gaza. After Israeli forces advanced, the area under Israeli control grew to nearly two-thirds. Hamas controls the remaining third. Most of the roughly 2 million people there live in temporary tents or buildings damaged by bombardment.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” has put forward several plans for Gaza’s reconstruction. The plans, which do not account for the property rights of Palestinians who owned the destroyed homes, have won the support of neither Israel nor Hamas. The parties have yet to reach an agreement in ceasefire talks.
The terms of a deal that would see Israeli troops withdraw in exchange for Hamas laying down its arms have not been agreed. Israel says it will not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed. Hamas says it is open to a phased process but will not disarm while Israeli attacks continue.
According to Gaza health authorities, Israel has continued its bombardments in recent months, killing several Hamas gunmen, but many civilians have also been killed. The death tolls released by the health authorities do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
