Israel marks 7 October anniversary as Gaza strikes and election debate converge
Memorials for the victims of Hamas’s 2023 attack took place as Gaza officials reported deaths from renewed Israeli strikes, weeks before Israel’s first election since the attack.
Israel held memorials on 7 October for those killed in Hamas’s 2023 attack, as renewed strikes in Gaza and debate over the government’s record shaped the anniversary ahead of a national election.
Families gathered at the Nova festival site and Kfar Aza, where mourners heard explosions from across the border, according to France 24 International. A Tel Aviv ceremony organised by survivors and bereaved families drew several thousand people.
Gaza officials said Israeli strikes killed five people. The report said the strikes took place while a ceasefire was officially in place for the past year. The casualty figure was attributed to Gaza officials and was not independently verified in the supplied material.
The election, scheduled for 27 October, will be Israel’s first since the attack. The report described a tight race and said the attack and the government’s handling of the ensuing war were central to political debate.
Opposition figures used the commemorations to criticise the state’s failure to protect Israelis and the government’s failure to remove Hamas from power. Netanyahu lit a memorial candle at his office and said Israel would hold those responsible to account.
An AFP tally based on official Israeli figures puts the 2023 attack’s death toll at 1,221; 251 hostages were taken, 44 reportedly already dead. Gaza’s health ministry reports more than 74,200 deaths in Israel’s military offensive, figures the UN considers reliable, according to the report.
