Wednesday, 23 October, 2024
Around the globe, people held vigils, ceremonies, and protests on Monday to commemorate the first anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Israel, which ignited the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
On October 7 last year, militants killed approximately 1,200 individuals and abducted around 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources. Since then, nearly 42,000 people have lost their lives in Gaza, as reported by Palestinian health authorities, while a significant portion of the 2.3 million residents have been displaced.
Ceremonies commenced at 6:29 a.m., marking the moment when Hamas-led militants launched rockets into Israel, initiating the attack on October 7 last year.
"We remember our fallen and our hostages, whom we are obligated to bring home," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated as he lit a candle at Jerusalem's Swords of Iron memorial.
Outside his residence, around 300 individuals, led by families of hostages holding photographs of their loved ones, observed a minute of silence for the deceased as a siren rang out. Meanwhile, Israel's parliament, the Knesset, lowered its flags in remembrance.
At the site of the Nova music festival, where hundreds of partygoers and staff were killed and scores of others taken hostage, President Isaac Herzog joined grieving families and friends.
Mourners listened to the last track that was played before it was stopped abruptly, just as it did a year ago at sunrise. "This is where she was. This is where she was happy in the last of her moments," said Anat Regev, the aunt of one of the festival-goers killed in the attack.
Crowds of people, many wearing yellow shirts, walked through the ruins of Kibbutz Be'eri which was attacked on Oct 7. "I see my brother's house around the corner, and I'm still there, on that bloody day," said Kobi Ben Ami, whose brother is still held.
Families gathered in what is now known as Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, where women formed a human chain along the highway to honor those still held captive in Gaza.
GAZA
In Gaza, no formal commemorative events were scheduled for Monday. Israeli forces launched air and ground offensives in multiple areas, resulting in the deaths of at least 52 individuals, according to Palestinian medics.
Hamas claimed responsibility for a missile attack targeting Tel Aviv, while the Israeli military confirmed that sirens were activated in central Israel.
In a speech marking the anniversary, Khaled Meshaal, who leads Hamas's political office in exile in Qatar, called on Arab and Muslim nations to establish "new fronts of resistance" against Israel. Hamas ally Islamic Jihad reiterated its commitment to "armed resistance," asserting that the October 7 attacks had "eliminated all attempts to marginalize our cause," as stated in their announcement on Sunday.
Some residents of Gaza expressed their longing to return to normalcy before the conflict erupted. "Before October 7, I had dreams. As a father of six, my greatest burden was providing for them and securing their futures. But since that date, all of that has vanished," lamented Abu Hassan Shaheen.
IRAN
Iran, deeply entangled in the escalating conflict with Israel through its own forces and allied groups, reaffirmed its solidarity with the Palestinian people. The foreign ministry described the events of October 7 as "a turning point in the history of the Palestinian nation's legitimate struggle against occupation and oppression."
Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah marked the anniversary by announcing its entry into the war alongside Hamas, citing "truth, justice, and complete humanity" as their motivations. Meanwhile, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, stated on Sunday that "fronts" against Israel are gearing up for escalation. Israel's military reported intercepting a missile from Yemen on Monday.
UNITED STATES
U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the "unspeakable brutality" of the October 7 attacks, honoring the lives of those, including American citizens, who were killed or kidnapped. He reaffirmed his commitment to Israel's right to self-defense, adding, "I believe history will remember October 7 as a dark day for the Palestinian people, due to the conflict that Hamas instigated that day... We will persist in our efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza."
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the need to ensure that nothing akin to the horrors of October 7 occurs again, stating her determination to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas. She expressed her heartbreak over the devastating loss of life and destruction in Gaza over the past year, highlighting the plight of countless children and families struggling to secure basic necessities.
AUSTRALIA
At Sydney's Bondi Beach, attendees holding Israeli and Australian flags listened in silence as the names of hostages still held by Hamas were read aloud.
ITALY
In Rome, Jewish students placed chained and blindfolded teddy bears—each adorned with a T-shirt featuring the image of an Israeli hostage—at various landmarks, including the iconic Colosseum.
UNITED NATIONS
A minute of silence was observed at the UN headquarters in Geneva, attended by over 100 diplomats from countries including India and Kenya.
TURKEY
President Tayyip Erdogan shared on social media: "What is dying in Gaza, Palestine, and now in Lebanon is not just women, children, and innocent civilians; it is humanity and the international system that should serve humanity."
BRITAIN
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated, "One year after these horrific attacks, we must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community and unite as a nation." Foreign Minister David Lammy visited London's South Tottenham Synagogue, while other countries, including Spain, Italy, Portugal, and South Africa, issued statements in remembrance of the day.
FRANCE
"Force must give way to diplomacy. We have been urging for months for a ceasefire," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot remarked in Jerusalem after visiting the site of the Nova festival. President Emmanuel Macron added on social media: "The pain remains as vivid as it was a year ago—the pain of the Israeli people, of our own, and the pain of wounded humanity."
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Around the globe, people held vigils, ceremonies, and protests on Monday to commemorate the first anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Israel, which ignited the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
On October 7 last year, militants killed approximately 1,200 individuals and abducted around 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources. Since then, nearly 42,000 people have lost their lives in Gaza, as reported by Palestinian health authorities, while a significant portion of the 2.3 million residents have been displaced.
Ceremonies commenced at 6:29 a.m., marking the moment when Hamas-led militants launched rockets into Israel, initiating the attack on October 7 last year.
"We remember our fallen and our hostages, whom we are obligated to bring home," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated as he lit a candle at Jerusalem's Swords of Iron memorial.
Outside his residence, around 300 individuals, led by families of hostages holding photographs of their loved ones, observed a minute of silence for the deceased as a siren rang out. Meanwhile, Israel's parliament, the Knesset, lowered its flags in remembrance.
At the site of the Nova music festival, where hundreds of partygoers and staff were killed and scores of others taken hostage, President Isaac Herzog joined grieving families and friends.
Mourners listened to the last track that was played before it was stopped abruptly, just as it did a year ago at sunrise. "This is where she was. This is where she was happy in the last of her moments," said Anat Regev, the aunt of one of the festival-goers killed in the attack.
Crowds of people, many wearing yellow shirts, walked through the ruins of Kibbutz Be'eri which was attacked on Oct 7. "I see my brother's house around the corner, and I'm still there, on that bloody day," said Kobi Ben Ami, whose brother is still held.
Families gathered in what is now known as Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, where women formed a human chain along the highway to honor those still held captive in Gaza.
GAZA
In Gaza, no formal commemorative events were scheduled for Monday. Israeli forces launched air and ground offensives in multiple areas, resulting in the deaths of at least 52 individuals, according to Palestinian medics.
Hamas claimed responsibility for a missile attack targeting Tel Aviv, while the Israeli military confirmed that sirens were activated in central Israel.
In a speech marking the anniversary, Khaled Meshaal, who leads Hamas's political office in exile in Qatar, called on Arab and Muslim nations to establish "new fronts of resistance" against Israel. Hamas ally Islamic Jihad reiterated its commitment to "armed resistance," asserting that the October 7 attacks had "eliminated all attempts to marginalize our cause," as stated in their announcement on Sunday.
Some residents of Gaza expressed their longing to return to normalcy before the conflict erupted. "Before October 7, I had dreams. As a father of six, my greatest burden was providing for them and securing their futures. But since that date, all of that has vanished," lamented Abu Hassan Shaheen.
IRAN
Iran, deeply entangled in the escalating conflict with Israel through its own forces and allied groups, reaffirmed its solidarity with the Palestinian people. The foreign ministry described the events of October 7 as "a turning point in the history of the Palestinian nation's legitimate struggle against occupation and oppression."
Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah marked the anniversary by announcing its entry into the war alongside Hamas, citing "truth, justice, and complete humanity" as their motivations. Meanwhile, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, stated on Sunday that "fronts" against Israel are gearing up for escalation. Israel's military reported intercepting a missile from Yemen on Monday.
UNITED STATES
U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the "unspeakable brutality" of the October 7 attacks, honoring the lives of those, including American citizens, who were killed or kidnapped. He reaffirmed his commitment to Israel's right to self-defense, adding, "I believe history will remember October 7 as a dark day for the Palestinian people, due to the conflict that Hamas instigated that day... We will persist in our efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza."
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the need to ensure that nothing akin to the horrors of October 7 occurs again, stating her determination to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas. She expressed her heartbreak over the devastating loss of life and destruction in Gaza over the past year, highlighting the plight of countless children and families struggling to secure basic necessities.
AUSTRALIA
At Sydney's Bondi Beach, attendees holding Israeli and Australian flags listened in silence as the names of hostages still held by Hamas were read aloud.
ITALY
In Rome, Jewish students placed chained and blindfolded teddy bears—each adorned with a T-shirt featuring the image of an Israeli hostage—at various landmarks, including the iconic Colosseum.
UNITED NATIONS
A minute of silence was observed at the UN headquarters in Geneva, attended by over 100 diplomats from countries including India and Kenya.
TURKEY
President Tayyip Erdogan shared on social media: "What is dying in Gaza, Palestine, and now in Lebanon is not just women, children, and innocent civilians; it is humanity and the international system that should serve humanity."
BRITAIN
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated, "One year after these horrific attacks, we must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community and unite as a nation." Foreign Minister David Lammy visited London's South Tottenham Synagogue, while other countries, including Spain, Italy, Portugal, and South Africa, issued statements in remembrance of the day.
FRANCE
"Force must give way to diplomacy. We have been urging for months for a ceasefire," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot remarked in Jerusalem after visiting the site of the Nova festival. President Emmanuel Macron added on social media: "The pain remains as vivid as it was a year ago—the pain of the Israeli people, of our own, and the pain of wounded humanity."
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