Israelis mourn 7 October attack victims three years after deadly Hamas raid

Memorial events have taken place in Israel on the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attack that sparked the devastating Gaza war. A man comforts a woman at the fountain at Dizengoff Square on Wednesday Memorial events have taken place in Israel on the third anniversary of the devastating Hamas-led attack there that sparked the war in Gaza. Families paid tribute to their loved ones at some of the sites where about 1,200 people were killed in the assault and 251 were taken hostage. "The nation unites on this day in the longing for our dear ones," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faced calls from protesters for an independent state inquiry into security failures that day.

In response to the attack, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza which has killed more than 74,200 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are seen as reliable by the UN. Residents of kibbutz destroyed in 7 October Hamas-led attacks grapple with how to rebuild Violence has continued in Gaza despite a ceasefire agreed almost a year ago and living conditions for the 2.1 million people living there remain dire. On Wednesday morning, bereaved families and survivors gathered at a memorial for the 378 people who were killed at the Nova dance festival in southern Israel on 7 October 2023.