A divided Israel marks two years since October 7 attack
ALON BERNSTEIN, MELANIE LIDMAN |
Thousands of people converged on southern Israel to mourn the dead as the nation marked two years since Hamas’ October 7 attack plunged the region into a devastating war, while Israel and Hamas pressed on with indirect peace talks in Egypt.
The main memorial event in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, organised by the bereaved families, was separate from a ceremony that the government will hold on the anniversary next week according to the Hebrew calendar.
The split reflects deep divisions over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, which many blame for the failure to secure a ceasefire that would free the remaining hostages held by the militants.
It’s been two years since thousands of Hamas-led militants poured into southern Israel after a surprise barrage of rockets.
They stormed army bases, farming communities and an outdoor music festival, killing some 1200 people, mostly civilians, including women, children and the elderly.
They abducted 251 others, most of whom have since been released in ceasefires or other deals.
Forty-eight hostages remain inside Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive.
Hamas has said it will release them only in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.
Netanyahu has vowed to keep pursuing Israel’s war goals.
“Our bloodthirsty enemies struck us hard, but they did not break us,” he said in a statement quoted by Israeli media on Tuesday.
“Whoever raises a hand against us receives unprecedented crushing blows.”
“We will continue to act to achieve all the goals of the war,” Netanyahu added, citing “the return of all our hostages, the elimination of Hamas rule and ensuring that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel”.
In the Gaza Strip, where Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed tens of thousands of people and razed entire towns and cities, those who can are fleeing another Israeli invasion of Gaza City while others are sheltering in place.
The Hamas attack set in motion a cascade of events that led Israel into combat with Iran and its allies across the region, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which suffered major losses. The US joined Israel in attacking Iran’s military and nuclear program in a 12-day war in June.
But the failure to return the hostages has left the country deeply divided, with weekly mass protests against Netanyahu. Israel is more isolated internationally than it has been in decades.
Nearly 400 Israelis were killed and dozens abducted from the Nova music festival in the border community of Reim. Over the last two years, it has emerged as a memorial site, with portraits of the kidnapped and the fallen.
Thousands of people visited throughout the day to share memories of relatives and friends who were killed, weaving through hundreds of photos encircling the spot where the DJ booth stood.
Many gathered before sunrise, playing the same track of music that was playing two years ago, stopping for a moment of silence at 6:29am – the exact time the attack began. People embraced and spoke of their loss.
“We don’t need a specific day, because we live this every day anew,” said Alon Muskinov, 28, who was at the festival and lost three of his closest friends.
Israeli artillery and the boom of explosions in Gaza echoed across the Nova site as smoke billowed over the Strip. The Israeli military said a rocket was launched from northern Gaza in the morning, but no damage or injuries were reported.
Israeli forces have arrested at least 35 people in the occupied West Bank, east Jerusalem and elsewhere since Monday, according to a group representing Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli military did not immediately confirm the arrests but said “regular counterterrorism activity” was underway.
In Tel Aviv, dozens gathered at a memorial site that was set up in a city square.
Shay Dickmann, whose aunt was killed in Kibbutz Be’eri and whose cousin, Carmel Gat, was taken hostage by Hamas and killed 11 months later, said everyone wants the war to end.
“There is a deal on the table, there is an opportunity to end this war and bring everybody back home,” she said.
“We all deserve it.”
In neighbouring Egypt, Israel and Hamas held a second day of indirect talks to discuss US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
The war has already killed over 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government.
with dpa
AP
