Israelis will mark three years on Wednesday since Hamas attacked on October 7, 2023, triggering a military assault that destroyed much of Gaza. The attacks, during which militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza, marked the deadliest day in Israel's history. A vigil will be held at the site of the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, where 348 young people were killed by militants during the attack.
The anniversary is the first for Israelis without any hostages still held in Gaza, with those dead and alive exchanged in swaps with Hamas for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. The remains of the last Israeli hostage were recovered in January. This comes as Israel prepares for its first election since the attack, a vote viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure in power.
Netanyahu has rejected blame for the security breach and resisted calls for an independent investigation, frustrating many in Israel, including families of those killed in the attacks. Some have joined the election race, and a poll by the Israel Democracy Institute showed that 68% of Jewish Israelis said the events of October 7 were a central element in their decision of which party to vote for.
Election polls show neither Netanyahu nor his main competitors would muster enough seats in parliament to form a coalition if a vote were held today. The anniversary also marks a year since a US-brokered ceasefire deal that halted major fighting but has failed to stop Israeli attacks in Gaza or secure the disarmament of Hamas and other militant groups.
The deal left Israel in control of some 53% of Gaza, since expanded by Israeli forces to nearly two-thirds. Hamas controls the remaining third, where the 2 million population mostly live in makeshift tents and bombed-out buildings. US President Donald Trump's so-called "Board of Peace" has proposed several plans that would see Gaza rebuilt.
However, those plans have failed to gain the buy-in of Israel or Hamas, which are still deadlocked in ceasefire talks. The two have yet to agree on the terms of a deal that would see Hamas lay down its weapons in exchange for Israeli troop withdrawals. Israel says it will not pull back until Hamas fully disarms; Hamas says it has agreed to a phased process but will not disarm so long as Israeli attacks continue.
Since the October 2025 ceasefire, more than 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities, and five Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants or in combat, the military says. The Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza has killed a number of Hamas militants in recent months but has also killed many civilians, say Gaza health authorities.
Key points
- 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages taken during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
- The US-brokered ceasefire deal has failed to stop Israeli attacks in Gaza or secure the disarmament of Hamas.
- Israel's election, 20 days away, is viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long tenure in power.
