Israel marks three years since Oct. 7 attack with memorials and protests
In short
Israelis gathered on Wednesday to mark three years since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack, which killed more than 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, with ceremonies, memorials and protests at more than 400 locations. A national moment of silence was held at 6:29 a.m., the time the attack began, and a national memorial ceremony was scheduled for Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening. The Associated Press reported the anniversary comes as Palestinians in Gaza face dire conditions and with Israeli strikes continuing almost daily despite a ceasefire reached nearly a year ago.
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Israelis gathered on Wednesday to mark three years since the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, with ceremonies, memorials and protests across the country. The Associated Press reported the attack killed more than 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, and CNN said commemorations were held at more than 400 locations. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The day began with a national moment of silence at 6:29 a.m., the time the attack started, CNN reported. At noon, bereaved families and civil grassroots protest groups held a national minute of reflection, joined by public hospitals, local municipalities, universities and private businesses. Memorial events also took place at the Nova festival site in the Re'im Forest, where CNN said over 370 people were murdered and 44 abducted. The Associated Press reported families mourned at intersections, bomb shelters and the festival site. A national memorial ceremony was to be held in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening, organised by the Kumu movement, which CNN said represents October 7 survivors and victims' families, and hosted by former hostage Eli Sharabi and actress Shani Cohen; tens of thousands were expected. Protest convoys and displays were also expected. CNN reported that Israel held its official state memorials on Monday. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
CNN quoted Shir Mathias, whose parents Shachar and Shlomi Mathias were killed in the attack on Kibbutz Holit, calling for a change in the country's leadership. “Everyone who had their hand on the wheel, those in uniforms and suits alike — must go home,” she wrote on X, urging citizens to change their profile picture to the message “Everyone must go home.” [ 2 ]
The Associated Press reported that it is the first anniversary on which all the hostages are home, describing it as “a new stage of grief.” Elkana Bohbot, 37, was marking the anniversary in Israel for the first time after being released from 738 days of captivity last year, the AP reported. Abducted from the Nova music festival, he said he spent most of that time held 50 metres (165 feet) underground in a dark, damp tunnel, in a small cell with other hostages, given very little food and allowed to bathe only every few weeks. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
For Palestinians, the AP reported, the anniversary brought another day of hardship after an Israeli retaliatory campaign in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people. It said most of the population of about 2 million live in tent camps, that large parts of the strip's cities are reduced to rubble, and that more than half the territory remains in the hands of the Israeli military. Despite a ceasefire deal reached nearly a year ago, AP said, Israeli strikes continue almost daily. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The AP also framed the day as a marker of regional change: Israeli troops occupy a large part of southern Lebanon in their conflict with Hezbollah, which began firing on Israel in 2023 in support of Hamas, and Iran and the United States are locked in a confrontation that has seen attacks across Arab Gulf countries and has shaken the global economy. CBS News previewed the anniversary, and Reuters carried a headline on the day. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Why it matters
The anniversary puts the scale of the Oct. 7 attack and the fate of the hostages back at the centre of Israeli public life, alongside protest calls for a change in leadership. Wire coverage also frames the day around the war it triggered: the condition of Gaza's roughly 2 million residents, the partial Israeli hold on the territory and continuing strikes. Outlets describe wider regional effects, including Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and a confrontation between Iran and the United States.
Key facts
- Wednesday marked three years since the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, CBS News, CNN and the Associated Press reported. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The attack killed more than 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage to Gaza, according to CNN and the Associated Press. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Commemorations were held at more than 400 locations, CNN reported, beginning with a national moment of silence at 6:29 a.m., the time the attack started. [ 2 ]
- A national memorial ceremony was to be held in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening, organized by the Kumu movement and hosted by former hostage Eli Sharabi and actress Shani Cohen, with tens of thousands expected, according to CNN. [ 2 ]
- The Associated Press reported it is the first anniversary on which all the hostages are home. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The Associated Press reported that most of Gaza's roughly 2 million people live in tent camps, that large parts of the strip's cities are reduced to rubble and that, despite a ceasefire reached nearly a year ago, Israeli strikes continue almost daily. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Wednesday is the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack, and Israelis gathered to commemorate it. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The Oct. 7, 2023 attack killed more than 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken to Gaza. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Memorial activity included a ceremony at the Nova festival site in the Re'im Forest, where CNN reported over 370 people were killed and 44 abducted. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- That this is the first anniversary on which all hostages are home. Stated in the Associated Press copy carried by three outlets, but not corroborated by CNN, CBS News or Reuters in these documents, and no total number of released or remaining hostages is given.
- The precise number of Palestinians killed in Gaza and the terms of the ceasefire reached nearly a year ago. The Associated Press gives only “tens of thousands” killed and no date or terms for the ceasefire; no other document in the set provides figures.
- The content of the official state memorial held Monday, including the passage CNN quoted from it. Mentioned only by CNN, and the quoted passage is truncated in the source text.
- Details carried by Reuters beyond its headline. The Reuters document has no article text or summary, so its specifics cannot be checked against the other documents.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- CBS News publishes a preview noting that Wednesday will mark three years since the Oct. 7 attacks. [ 1 ]
- CNN reports on memorials and protests across more than 400 locations, including the schedule for a Tel Aviv ceremony. [ 2 ]
- The Associated Press reports from Netanya that Israelis gathered to commemorate the attack, with families mourning at intersections, bomb shelters and the festival site. [ 3 ]
- The Seattle Times carries the Associated Press report. [ 4 ]
- The Boston Globe carries the Associated Press report. [ 5 ]
- Reuters publishes its headline on the anniversary. [ 6 ]
- A national moment of silence is held at the time the Oct. 7, 2023 attack began, CNN reports. [ 2 ]
- Bereaved families and civil protest groups hold a national minute of reflection, joined by public hospitals, local municipalities, universities and private businesses, according to CNN. [ 2 ]