Grief and anger define the anniversary of Hamas’ attack as Netanyahu faces protests and Gaza descends deeper into ruin.
Two years after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack shattered Israel’s sense of security and ignited a regional war, thousands gathered in southern Israel on Tuesday to mourn the dead and remember the day that changed the nation — even as the fighting in Gaza grinds on with no clear end in sight.
The main memorial, organized by families of the victims, took place near the Gaza border, separate from the government’s official commemoration planned for next week.
The split itself reflected the country’s deep divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and his failure, critics say, to secure a ceasefire that would bring home the remaining hostages.
In Gaza, Israeli bombardments and ground operations continued, displacing civilians yet again. Tens of thousands have been killed, and much of the enclave has been reduced to rubble. Many Gazans are trapped between advancing Israeli forces and the near-impossible journey southward.
The original Oct. 7 assault — the deadliest attack in Israel’s history — saw thousands of Hamas-led fighters storm across the border after a rocket barrage, killing roughly 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and abducting 251 more. Nearly all but 48 of the hostages have since been freed through exchanges and ceasefire deals; Israel believes around 20 remain alive in captivity.
Hamas has conditioned further releases on a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal, demands Netanyahu has rejected.
The war’s ripple effects have redrawn fault lines across the Middle East. Israel’s campaign has expanded into open hostilities with Iran and its proxies in Lebanon and Syria, and a brief but fierce 12-day war in June saw Israel and the United States strike Iranian military and nuclear sites.
Several senior Iranian generals and militant leaders have been killed.
Yet at home, the sense of victory is elusive. The hostages remain in Gaza, weekly protests have rocked Tel Aviv, and Israel’s diplomatic isolation deepens. “We’ve won battles,” said one demonstrator, “but we’re losing our soul.”
At the Nova music festival site near Reim — where 364 people were murdered and dozens abducted — survivors and relatives gathered quietly. Hundreds of photos now ring the site, where at 6:29 a.m., the exact moment the attack began, music gave way to a minute of silence.
Elsewhere, explosions echoed across Gaza as a rocket launched from the north prompted air-raid sirens, though no injuries were reported.
Later Tuesday, the main public memorial was held in Tel Aviv, featuring speeches and performances. It was organized by Yonatan Shamriz, whose brother Alon was mistakenly killed by Israeli troops after escaping Hamas captivity — a grim reminder of the chaos and tragedy that still haunt the war.
Meanwhile, Israeli and Hamas representatives met indirectly in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh resort to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest “Board of Peace” plan — a proposal for a transitional technocratic administration in Gaza under international supervision.
According to Gaza’s health authorities, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s invasion began, roughly half of them women and children. Aid groups warn that famine has taken hold in parts of Gaza City, while accusations of genocide and starvation tactics have reached the International Criminal Court, which has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister.
Israel denies the charges, arguing that it is fighting a lawful war against a terrorist movement that embeds itself among civilians.
For many Israelis and Palestinians alike, this anniversary feels less like remembrance than a measure of loss — of lives, of trust, and of hope. Two years after Oct. 7, both sides remain trapped in the cycle of vengeance that began that morning — and neither can yet see its end.
