Israeli Families Mourn October 7 Attack as Gaza Faces Continuing Ruin

Families and survivors gathered across southern Israel to commemorate the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, while Palestinians in Gaza marked the anniversary amid widespread destruction, displacement and a continuing humanitarian crisis.

The attack, described as the deadliest in Israel’s history, killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage, according to the source report. It sparked the devastating war in Gaza.

Israeli families remember victims

Mourners gathered at intersections, bomb shelters and the site of a music festival in southern Israel. Near Reim, families placed photographs of relatives killed at and around the festival grounds, where more than 350 people died.

At 6:29 a.m., the time identified as when the first rockets were launched, relatives of survivors embraced one another. Anya Davitashvili spoke about her 25-year-old son, Sean, who was killed at the festival.

“I have a video of him dancing here that ends at 6:29 in the morning, it’s in front of my eyes all the time,” Davitashvili said. She added: “Every morning, you wake up and there is just endless missing.”

Elkana Bohbot, 37, marked the anniversary in Israel for the first time since his release after 738 days in captivity. He was abducted from the music festival and said he spent most of his captivity underground in a dark, damp tunnel. According to his account, he was held in a small cell, received little food and was allowed to bathe only every few weeks.

Bohbot underwent physical and emotional rehabilitation after his release. His wife, Rivka, gave birth to their daughter Michele in August. Speaking about the child, he said, “This child is the message for you that we were here and we will always be here forever.”

Gaza residents face destruction and displacement

In Gaza, most residents have been displaced by the war, with many living in tent camps as large parts of the territory’s cities remain in ruins. The source report said Israeli strikes continue almost daily despite a ceasefire deal, while more than half of Gaza remains in the hands of the Israeli military.

Walid Akram described the conditions facing Palestinians in the territory as a combination of death, destruction and bombardment. “We witnessed death, destruction, and bombardment that we had never known before,” he said.

Raed Khozeiq said his coastal neighborhood in Tel al-Hawa had been largely flattened. “No country in the world has gone through what we have experienced here,” he said, describing a war marked by starvation and the loss of schools and universities.

The Gaza Health Ministry says at least 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory. It also reported that 1,460 Palestinians were killed after the ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025. The source report said seven Israeli soldiers were killed during the same period.

Food security experts have said restrictions on the entry of goods and aid have contributed to a hunger crisis. Several international NGOs and a UN commission have also found that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, according to the source report. Those findings are attributed to the organizations and commission.

Hamas issues anniversary statement

No events were expected in Gaza for the anniversary, according to the source. Hamas issued a statement praising the October 7 attack as an example of “heroism, resilience and national solidarity,” and said it had returned the Palestinian cause to the world’s attention.

Hamas also said the conflict with Israel did not begin on October 7 and that “its final chapters are not written yet.”

The war has also widened beyond Gaza. Hezbollah began firing on Israel in 2023 in support of Hamas, Israeli troops occupy a large part of southern Lebanon, and the source report described a broader confrontation involving Iran and the United States, including attacks across Gulf Arab countries.