Israelis Assemble to Commemorate 24 Months Since October 7th Hamas Attack

Come Tuesday, the nation's residents will gather across the country to mark the second anniversary of the 7 October attack, where Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people and abducted 251 people in an attack on the southern regions of Israel.

Informal Memorials and Rallies

Unofficial commemorations are scheduled in the small agricultural communities of the southern part of the country whose members were murdered or taken hostage, and a large rally will occur in the city of Tel Aviv to call for the liberation of the remaining hostages from Hamas captivity in the Palestinian territory.

The national commemorative service of remembrance will take place on the sixteenth of October in the country's main burial ground on Herzl Mountain subsequent to the observance of the Rejoicing of the Torah.

Collective Trauma and Lasting Consequences

The memory of the collective trauma of the attack two years ago – the deadliest single attack in the history of Israel – continues to cast a shadow all over Israel. The photographs of those abducted yet to be freed in Gaza are displayed at transit points nationwide, and dwellings that were set ablaze by armed individuals as they marauded through agricultural villages are left scorched and vacant.

Hundreds of survivors the assault at the Nova festival joined a commemoration on recent Sunday with ex-captives and the families of victims.

“This angel might have celebrated 27 years old now. I live the memory as though it happened just moments past,” Ofir Dor, the father of the young Idan was killed during the event, stated while standing under a memorial featuring victims’ faces.

Peace Talks

The commemoration has been overshadowed hopes that the conflict in Gaza may finally be nearing its end. Delegates from the opposing factions met in the Arab Republic on recent Monday where they commenced negotiations through intermediaries to finalize the terms of the release of all hostages detained in the strip and the repatriation of around 2,000 detainees from Palestine, in addition to the initial withdrawal of the nation's soldiers from the Gaza Strip.

This round of negotiations, while still not close to an agreement, has produced increased hope than previous negotiation attempts following the most recent truce collapsed in the middle of March.

The Israeli leader has declared he aims to declare the return of those abducted “in the coming days”, while Donald Trump has threatened Hamas with “utter annihilation” in case the arrangement fails to materialize.

Public Pressure

Certain memorial gatherings have been repurposed to protests to demand the government to secure an agreement to return the captives and end the war. During a protest in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on recent Saturday, loved ones insisted the prime minister approve the suggested framework to stop the hostilities in the territory.

Gaza's Reality

In Gaza, the local population are hopefully expecting to see if a ceasefire comes to fruition. In spite of the former leader's calls that Israel stop bombing the area prior to a hostage release, attacks on Gaza have continued. The health authority in Gaza said at least 19 people were lost their lives due to Israeli actions over the last 24 hours, incorporating two individuals looking for assistance.

Tuesday will also mark the two-year point of the commencement of Israel’s military campaign on the coastal enclave, which has brought infrastructural and civilian damage to the people living there.

Over sixty-seven thousand residents of Gaza have been lost their lives and around one hundred seventy thousand have been wounded by Israeli forces in Gaza, per the Gaza health ministry. At least 460 people have perished due to lack of food in the territory, and the global premier organization on famine situations has stated a severe food shortage is unfolding in parts of the strip – a consequence of what the majority of humanitarian groups say is an restrictions imposed by the nation on the territory. The Israeli government has rejected the allegation.

A UN-led examination panel, several human rights groups and the international top group of genocide scholars have claimed the country has performed acts of genocide in the strip over the past two years. Israel has denied the accusation and stated its operations are defensive measures.