Israelis Mark Three Years Since October 7 Attack as Gaza Remains Devastated

JERUSALEM — Israelis gathered across the country on Wednesday to commemorate the third anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage, marking a day that fundamentally changed Israel and reshaped the wider Middle East.

Families gathered at memorial sites, along roadsides, in communities near the Gaza border and at the Nova music festival site in southern Israel, where more than 350 people were killed during the attack.

This year's commemoration is the first since all remaining hostages, living and deceased, were returned from Gaza, adding another dimension to the grief and remembrance surrounding the anniversary.

Families remember victims at Nova festival site

At the Nova festival site near Re'im, relatives gathered around photographs of loved ones killed during the attack.

Survivors and families embraced at 6:29 a.m., the time the first rockets were launched on October 7, 2023, while explosions were heard from nearby Gaza.

For families who lost relatives, the anniversary remains a deeply personal reminder of the lives that were taken and the events that followed.

The Nova festival became one of the most heavily affected locations during the attack, with hundreds of people killed as militants stormed the event.

Former hostage marks first anniversary after release

Among those marking the anniversary was Elkana Bohbot, who was abducted from the festival and spent 738 days in captivity before being released.

Bohbot has since undergone physical and emotional rehabilitation. His wife, Rivka, gave birth to a daughter in August, a development he had hoped for while in captivity.

His experience reflects the continuing personal impact of the hostage crisis, even after all remaining hostages were returned.

Gaza faces continuing humanitarian crisis

While Israelis commemorated the victims of October 7, Palestinians in Gaza faced the consequences of the war that followed the attack.

More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its overall figures, although United Nations agencies and independent experts have generally considered its casualty reporting credible.

Large areas of Gaza have been destroyed, while much of the population remains displaced and dependent on temporary shelters and humanitarian assistance.

Associated Press reporting based on satellite imagery found that Israeli military operations have caused extensive destruction across the territory, including the near-total destruction of Rafah and the establishment of Israeli military positions across areas under Israeli control.

A ceasefire that took effect in October 2025 halted the heaviest fighting, but Israeli strikes have continued, according to Palestinian health authorities. The same authorities reported that 1,460 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began.

Israel says its military operations target Hamas militants and infrastructure.

A region transformed by three years of conflict

The October 7 attack and subsequent war have reshaped security dynamics across the Middle East.

Israel has fought Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, while tensions involving Iran have drawn in the United States and other regional actors. The conflict has also affected neighbouring countries and contributed to wider geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

The anniversary therefore comes as a reminder not only of the human cost of October 7 but also of the far-reaching consequences of the war that followed.

For Israelis, the day remains defined by remembrance of those killed and the trauma of the attack. For Palestinians, it falls amid continued displacement, destruction and humanitarian hardship.

Three years after the events that triggered the conflict, the competing experiences of grief and suffering remain central to the unresolved crisis across Israel and the Palestinian territories.