🔗 Share this article Israelis Assemble to Mark Two Years Since 7 October Assault by Hamas Come Tuesday, Israelis are set to assemble across the country to mark the 24-month milestone of the 7 October attack, where armed groups under Hamas took the lives of approximately 1,200 individuals and seized 251 captives during an assault on Israel's southern areas. Informal Remembrances and Rallies Community memorials will be held in the small agricultural communities of the southern part of the country whose members were killed or kidnapped, and a large rally will occur in the city of Tel Aviv to call for the release of the captives yet to be returned from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip. The national commemorative service of remembrance will take place on October 16 in Israel’s national cemetery on Herzl Mountain subsequent to the observance of the Torah celebration. Collective Trauma and Lasting Consequences The memory of the national ordeal of the incident from two years back – the deadliest single attack in Israel’s history – remains profoundly felt throughout the nation. The images of captives yet to be freed in the Gaza Strip are affixed to bus stops nationwide, and residences that were torched by armed individuals as they marauded through communal settlements remain burned and deserted. A multitude of those who lived through the attack on the Nova music festival attended a memorial on Sunday with ex-captives and the families of victims. “This beloved soul could have turned their 27th birthday today. I relive the moment as though it happened just moments past,” the bereaved father, whose son his child Idan perished at the festival, said next to a monument displaying the images of the lost. Peace Talks The commemoration has been overshadowed by aspirations that the conflict in Gaza might be nearing its end. Representatives from both sides convened in the nation of Egypt on Monday where they commenced negotiations through intermediaries to iron out the terms of the return of every captive detained in the strip and the return of almost two thousand detainees from Palestine, as well as the initial withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian area. This round of negotiations, even though distant from a resolution, has sparked greater optimism than any peace efforts since the last ceasefire broke down in March's halfway point. The Israeli leader has said he expects to reveal the release of hostages “over the next few days”, while Donald Trump has threatened Hamas with “total obliteration” if the deal is not reached. Popular Calls Some commemoration events have been converted for rallies to demand the government to conclude negotiations to return the captives and end the war. During a protest in the public space for captives in the city on Saturday night, relatives demanded the prime minister approve the suggested framework to end the war in the strip. Situation in Gaza In Gaza, Palestinians are anxiously awaiting to see whether a truce takes place. Despite the former leader's calls that Israel stop bombing Gaza ahead of a hostage release, bombardments of the territory persist. Gaza’s ministry of health reported at least 19 people were died from Israeli strikes during the previous 24-hour period, including a pair of persons seeking aid. Tuesday will furthermore represent the two-year point of the onset of the nation's armed offensive on the Palestinian territory, which has resulted in infrastructural and civilian damage to the inhabitants. Over sixty-seven thousand Palestinians have been died and around one hundred seventy thousand have been injured by the nation's military in the strip, per the strip's medical office. No fewer than 460 people have perished due to lack of food in Gaza, and the world’s leading authority on food crises has stated a mass starvation is occurring in areas of the territory – a product of what most aid agencies claim is an blockade by Israel on Gaza. The Israeli government has disputed the assertion. A United Nations investigative body, multiple organizations focused on rights and the global leading organization of academics studying mass atrocities have claimed the country has committed genocide in Gaza over the past two years. The Israeli administration has rejected the charge and stated its measures represent defensive measures.
Come Tuesday, Israelis are set to assemble across the country to mark the 24-month milestone of the 7 October attack, where armed groups under Hamas took the lives of approximately 1,200 individuals and seized 251 captives during an assault on Israel's southern areas. Informal Remembrances and Rallies Community memorials will be held in the small agricultural communities of the southern part of the country whose members were killed or kidnapped, and a large rally will occur in the city of Tel Aviv to call for the release of the captives yet to be returned from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip. The national commemorative service of remembrance will take place on October 16 in Israel’s national cemetery on Herzl Mountain subsequent to the observance of the Torah celebration. Collective Trauma and Lasting Consequences The memory of the national ordeal of the incident from two years back – the deadliest single attack in Israel’s history – remains profoundly felt throughout the nation. The images of captives yet to be freed in the Gaza Strip are affixed to bus stops nationwide, and residences that were torched by armed individuals as they marauded through communal settlements remain burned and deserted. A multitude of those who lived through the attack on the Nova music festival attended a memorial on Sunday with ex-captives and the families of victims. “This beloved soul could have turned their 27th birthday today. I relive the moment as though it happened just moments past,” the bereaved father, whose son his child Idan perished at the festival, said next to a monument displaying the images of the lost. Peace Talks The commemoration has been overshadowed by aspirations that the conflict in Gaza might be nearing its end. Representatives from both sides convened in the nation of Egypt on Monday where they commenced negotiations through intermediaries to iron out the terms of the return of every captive detained in the strip and the return of almost two thousand detainees from Palestine, as well as the initial withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian area. This round of negotiations, even though distant from a resolution, has sparked greater optimism than any peace efforts since the last ceasefire broke down in March's halfway point. The Israeli leader has said he expects to reveal the release of hostages “over the next few days”, while Donald Trump has threatened Hamas with “total obliteration” if the deal is not reached. Popular Calls Some commemoration events have been converted for rallies to demand the government to conclude negotiations to return the captives and end the war. During a protest in the public space for captives in the city on Saturday night, relatives demanded the prime minister approve the suggested framework to end the war in the strip. Situation in Gaza In Gaza, Palestinians are anxiously awaiting to see whether a truce takes place. Despite the former leader's calls that Israel stop bombing Gaza ahead of a hostage release, bombardments of the territory persist. Gaza’s ministry of health reported at least 19 people were died from Israeli strikes during the previous 24-hour period, including a pair of persons seeking aid. Tuesday will furthermore represent the two-year point of the onset of the nation's armed offensive on the Palestinian territory, which has resulted in infrastructural and civilian damage to the inhabitants. Over sixty-seven thousand Palestinians have been died and around one hundred seventy thousand have been injured by the nation's military in the strip, per the strip's medical office. No fewer than 460 people have perished due to lack of food in Gaza, and the world’s leading authority on food crises has stated a mass starvation is occurring in areas of the territory – a product of what most aid agencies claim is an blockade by Israel on Gaza. The Israeli government has disputed the assertion. A United Nations investigative body, multiple organizations focused on rights and the global leading organization of academics studying mass atrocities have claimed the country has committed genocide in Gaza over the past two years. The Israeli administration has rejected the charge and stated its measures represent defensive measures.