Israel marks 3rd anniversary of Oct 7 Hamas attacks as Gaza war drags on

The commemorations come as Gaza remains devastated by the three-year war, with a fragile ceasefire in place but violence and humanitarian suffering continuing.

In Short

• Memorials held amid heightened security before general elections
• 1,221 Israelis killed, 251 hostages taken by Hamas militants
• Israel vows no Hamas rule in Gaza, continues military actions

Israel is marking the third anniversary of Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Wednesday, with memorial events being held across the country just weeks before a general election in which the deadliest day in the country's history is expected to remain a central issue.

The commemorations are the first to be held since a ceasefire officially began in war-torn Gaza last year.

Memorial events are planned throughout the day to pay tribute to the scores of people killed by militants led by the Islamist movement during their assault from Gaza.

Palestinian fighters breached the border and stormed southern Israel with gunfire, rockets and grenades, killing 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Militants also dragged 251 hostages into Gaza, 44 of whom were already dead.

At 6:29 am local time, the exact time the Hamas attack began three years ago, a tribute is due to be held at Kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza border. Militants killed 64 residents and abducted 18 people there during the attack.

Another event is scheduled at the site of the Nova music festival in southern Israel, where militants killed more than 370 people and seized dozens of hostages. Bereaved families are also organising a gathering in a Tel Aviv park on Wednesday evening.

The events are being held under heightened security measures, three weeks before Israel's general elections and one week after a foiled attack on a Tel Aviv-bound passenger plane.

Israel's defence minister said on Tuesday that he had put the military on high alert "in light of intelligence regarding Hamas's intentions to attempt to carry out attacks" against troops in Gaza on the anniversary.

State memorial ceremonies were held on Monday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no Hamas rule in Gaza and vowed to continue targeting anyone who was involved in the October 7 attack or who held hostages.

In response to Hamas's unprecedented assault, Israel launched a massive military offensive that has left most of Gaza in ruins and killed more than 74,200 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, which is under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

Over the three years since the attack, Israel has also expanded its military reach across the Middle East, fighting on several fronts ranging from a conflict with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to Iran.

In Gaza, the humanitarian situation remains dire despite a fragile US-brokered ceasefire declared last October. Hundreds of thousands of people are still forced to live in tents and temporary structures.

Israel says it controls more than 60 per cent of the Gaza Strip and has continued its airstrikes, vowing to eliminate threats from Hamas and target those involved in the October 7 attack. Since the ceasefire, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,430 people in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry.

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