Israel observed a poignant national day of commemoration on Thursday, honoring the victims of the devastating Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and all those lost in the subsequent conflict. This solemn occasion unfolded nearly a week after a cease-fire was declared in Gaza.
Two central state ceremonies took place at the national cemetery, Mount Herzl, in Jerusalem. The date, chosen according to the Jewish calendar to avoid a holy day, marked roughly two years since the initial attack. One ceremony paid tribute to fallen soldiers and security personnel, while another honored civilians.
Addressing the gathering for soldiers, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog articulated a glimmer of hope amidst the enduring sorrow: “Even if this isn’t the end, we have hope we are nearing it, with throats choked with tears and grief, intertwined with moments of relief.”
As part of the fragile cease-fire, Hamas has since released the 20 remaining living hostages who had been held in Gaza, and Israel has freed nearly 2,000 Palestinians from imprisonment. Among those freed were 250 Palestinians convicted of terrorism offenses or acts of violence against Israelis and approximately 1,700 others detained in Gaza during the conflict without formal charges.
Video: A state ceremony was held two years after the 2023 attack, according to the Jewish calendar.
On Thursday, Israeli authorities confirmed the identification of two more bodies returned by Hamas on Wednesday. These individuals were among those killed in the October 2023 attack and taken into Gaza. The truce agreement explicitly called for the immediate handover of all remaining bodies, though both sides acknowledged that some might be difficult to locate due to widespread destruction across the enclave, thus requiring more time for retrieval.
The Palestinian militant group has so far returned at least nine identified bodies to Israel. The office of the prime minister stated that the remains of 19 more Israelis are still believed to be in Gaza. Conversely, Israel has repatriated at least 90 bodies of Palestinians to Gaza, as reported by the International Red Cross. Following these developments, the Israeli military has pulled back some forces to an agreed-upon line within Gaza, and some Gazans have tentatively begun to return to what remains of their homes.
Image: Israelis gathered at the national cemetery, Mount Herzl, in Jerusalem, on Thursday to commemorate those killed during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Credit: Amit Elkayam for The New York Times.
During the Jerusalem ceremony, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s commitment to achieving all its war aims. He emphasized previous objectives, such as disarming Hamas, which remains a significant point of contention in ongoing peace negotiations. Netanyahu sternly warned, stating that Israel had delivered “hammer blows” to its adversaries and vowing that “anyone who raises their hand against us will pay a heavy price for their aggression.”
The Oct. 7 attack tragically claimed approximately 1,200 lives, including Israeli civilians and security personnel, and led to the abduction of about 250 hostages. In the subsequent war in Gaza, the Gaza Health Ministry reports at least 67,000 Palestinian casualties, a figure that does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Israel’s National Security Council indicates that over 460 Israelis have been killed since the war began.
Many communities in southern Israel, deeply scarred by the events of two years ago, have been holding their own memorial services. Yael Felus, a 52-year-old resident of Kfar Aza—a kibbutz overrun by gunmen on Oct. 7, 2023—shared that her community gathered on Wednesday night to process the day’s tragic events. She recounted spending 22 harrowing hours in hiding during the attack.
On Thursday morning, the residents reunited at the kibbutz cemetery to remember the more than 60 individuals who lost their lives in Kfar Aza on that fateful day. Ms. Felus, like many from her kibbutz who have been displaced for the past two years while their village undergoes rebuilding and rehabilitation, expressed a deep longing for normalcy: “I hope this is the end of the war. I only feel safe at home and I hope to return there soon.”