Israel has marked three years since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, with families gathering across the country to remember the 1,200 people killed and 251 taken hostage in the deadliest assault in Israel’s history.
The attacks triggered a devastating war in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, left much of the territory in ruins and displaced the vast majority of its roughly two million residents.
The anniversary is the first since all hostages, living and dead, were returned, marking a new and painful chapter for Israeli families still mourning those killed and confronting the lasting impact of the attack.
In southern Israel, relatives gathered at intersections, bomb shelters and the site of the Nova music festival, where militants overran the event three years ago. More than 350 people were killed at and around the festival site, making it one of the deadliest locations of the attack.
Near Reim, families returned to the scene with photographs of their loved ones, while survivors and relatives gathered at 6:29 a.m., the precise time the first rockets were launched three years ago.
The commemoration comes as Palestinians continue to endure the consequences of the war in Gaza. Tens of thousands have been killed, while widespread destruction, displacement and shortages of food, shelter and other essentials have deepened the humanitarian crisis.
Large parts of Gaza’s cities have been reduced to rubble, with more than half of the territory remaining under Israeli military control. Despite a ceasefire agreement reached nearly a year ago, Israeli strikes have continued almost daily, underscoring the fragility of efforts to end the violence.
The conflict has also reshaped the wider Middle East, drawing in regional powers and armed groups. Israel has confronted Hezbollah along its northern border, while tensions involving Iran and the United States have fuelled a broader cycle of military escalation across the region.
Three years on, the October 7 attack remains a defining moment for Israel, while the war it unleashed has left a devastating legacy for Palestinians in Gaza.
For the families of those killed, the anniversary is a day of remembrance. For those still living amid the ruins of Gaza, it is a reminder of the enormous human cost of a conflict that has yet to deliver lasting security or a clear political resolution.
At the Nova Festival site, the grief remains deeply personal. Anya Davitashili, whose 25-year-old son Sean was killed, continues to return to the location every Saturday, keeping alive the memory of a son she lost on one of the darkest days in Israel’s history.
