Israel Marks Third Anniversary of Oct. 7 Attacks

Israelis marked the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, with ceremonies across the country, as the nation remembered those killed while facing an unresolved conflict in Gaza and preparing for its first election since the assault.

The Hamas terrorist group launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on this day three years ago, targeting communities near the Gaza border, including kibbutzim, towns, and the Nova music festival.

More than 1,200 people were killed, more than 5,500 were wounded, and 251 hostages were taken into Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.

The anniversary is the first since all of those hostages have been returned through exchanges with Hamas under a U.S.-brokered peace plan.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife led a commemoration ceremony on Wednesday morning. They lit a memorial candle at the president’s residence in Jerusalem at 6:29 a.m. local time, marking the time the attack began.

Other events to mark the date include a planned vigil at the Nova music festival site near the Gaza border and a gathering at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, 970 service members have died in wars, according to the Israel Defense Forces, including 472 service members who died as a result of military action in Gaza since the ground offensive began on Oct. 27 of that year.

Upcoming Election

The anniversary comes just 20 days before Israel’s first election since the Oct. 7 attack, a vote that will test the position of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.

Netanyahu has rejected blame for the security failures that allowed the attack to happen and has resisted calls for an independent investigation.

According to a recent poll by the Israel Democracy Institute, 68 percent of Jewish Israelis said the events of Oct. 7 were either a very central or fairly central factor in deciding which political party to support.

People react as they watch the hostage release live stream at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 13, 2025. Chris McGrath/Getty Images

On the eve of the anniversary, Netanyahu said Israel had changed dramatically over the past three years.

“We have turned the tables. The State of Israel is the strongest country in the Middle East, and our enemies are weaker than ever,” he said.

Netanyahu said the Tkuma region along the Gaza border had recovered, adding that “90 percent of the residents have returned to their homes” and describing reconstruction across the western Negev.

He also warned that Hamas could attempt attacks before the election.

Path to Peace

The Trump administration brokered a ceasefire agreement in October 2025, which halted major fighting but has not yet stopped Israeli military strikes in Gaza or secured the disarmament of Hamas.

In January 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump launched the Board of Peace to oversee the Gaza peace process, as well as address other global conflicts.

In July, Trump said an agreement had been reached for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in the region.

President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the inaugural meeting of the "Board of Peace" at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington on Feb. 19, 2026. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Under the deal, Israeli forces would withdraw as Hamas disarmament progresses, and security would gradually be transferred to an International Stabilization Force and a new Palestinian security force.

Netanyahu publicly rejected elements of the board’s proposal in August. He said that Israel would not pull back from its current positions until Hamas had been fully disarmed.

Israeli troops control more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, while most of Gaza’s population lives in a narrow coastal area where Hamas continues to govern.

Much of the Gaza Strip has been devastated during the war. Large areas have been damaged or destroyed by months of fighting and Israeli military operations, while hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced multiple times.

According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, the cumulative toll since the beginning of the Israeli offensive stands at 74,250 people killed and 175,278 injured as of Oct. 7 this year.

The Epoch Times could not independently verify the figures.

Tributes

Leaders from several countries marked the anniversary with messages remembering the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Union officials have issued statements of support.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot traveled to Israel on Oct. 7 to pay tribute to those killed.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz marked the date at the Israeli Mission to the U.N.

“A year ago on October 7, the hostages were still in brutal Hamas captivity,” he said. “Today, as we reflect again on those barbaric attacks, thanks to President Trump’s leadership, every hostage is out. They were always top of mind for the President.”

A boy walks carrying a table on his back past salvage workers scrapping the rubble of a building that was destroyed during Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, to use the recycled remains in the future, in Gaza City on Aug. 16, 2026. Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty Images

Ahead of the anniversary, Israel’s National Security Council warned of an increased threat to Israelis and to Jewish communities overseas.

In guidance published on Oct. 7, the council said terrorist organizations, “particularly Iran and its proxies, Hamas, and Global Jihad factions,” viewed the anniversary as a significant date.

The council urged Israelis not to publish travel plans on social media and to avoid traveling to destinations including Jordan, Qatar, Somaliland, and Egypt.

Reuters contributed to this report.