JERUSALEM — Israel on Wednesday marked the third anniversary of the October 7 attack by Hamas with silent tributes and new military strikes on Gaza. The commemorations took place during an intense political debate weeks before nationwide elections, where the assault remains a central issue.
At the Nova music festival site, where Hamas militants launched their assault around dawn on October 7, 2023, family members observed moments of silence. One mourner played techno music in tribute to those killed at the festival.
AFP reporters heard loud explosions from across the border in Gaza during the tributes at both the Nova site and the Kfar Aza kibbutz. Israel carried out new strikes despite an official ceasefire in place for the past year.
Gaza officials reported that at least two people were killed in overnight strikes within the territory. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble from sustained bombing following the attack, the deadliest in Israel's history.
Israel will hold elections on October 27, the first since the Hamas attack. Polls indicate a tight contest for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has directed extensive military operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran over the past three years.
Netanyahu observed October 7 with official ceremonies in Jerusalem on Monday, aligned with the anniversary on the Jewish calendar. He vowed there would be "no forgiveness for the murderers" and pledged never to permit Hamas to govern Gaza.
Netanyahu also stated that Hamas, despite suffering significant losses, still controls parts of the territory.
Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister, joined mourners at the Nova site. Bennett has openly criticized Netanyahu for failing to prevent the attack. He described the attackers as "monsters" and called the event "a colossal failure of the state of Israel, which was established to defend Jews in our land."
Bennett praised the young men and women from across Israel who fought to protect and save lives, calling them "a generation of heroes." He said the country owes it to this generation "to rebuild our country — to be stronger, better."
Mourners at the Nova site gathered before portraits of both festival-goers and security forces who died on October 7. The mother of Yevgeni Postel, a 25-year-old student, laid flowers at his portrait and wept. A police officer, viewing portraits of his fallen colleagues, called them "our heroes; the greatest children of Israel."
