Israelis across the country gathered on Tuesday to remember the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault, which killed more than 1,200 people and led to 251 others being taken into Gaza as hostages, while negotiations continued in Egypt over a possible end to the war.
The anniversary came as mediators worked to bridge gaps between Israeli and Hamas teams meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss a proposed peace plan.
The attack, described as the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, triggered a massive Israeli military campaign in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 67,000 people have been killed in the territory since then. These figures are considered credible by the UN and other international bodies.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that despite “immense pain,” the country had shown “miraculous resilience.”
“Our bloodthirsty enemies have hit us hard, but they have not broken us,” he said.
He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to “achieve all the goals of the war: the return of all the kidnapped, the elimination of the Hamas regime and the promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.”
UN Secretary General António Guterres said the events of October 7 would never be forgotten.
“The horror of that dark day will be forever seared in the memories of us all,” he said, urging both sides to embrace the peace proposal by US President Donald Trump, which he called a “historic opportunity” to end the conflict.
Official state memorials were delayed until October 16 to follow the end of the Jewish High Holiday season, but nationwide ceremonies still took place on Tuesday.
A major service for families of those killed in the attack was held in Tel Aviv and broadcast on national television. Earlier in the day, the country observed a minute of silence.
Meanwhile, indirect negotiations between Israeli and Hamas representatives entered their second day in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Talks resumed at 19:00 Cairo time (17:00 GMT), with a senior Palestinian official saying the morning session ended without progress. Disagreements remain over Israeli withdrawal maps from Gaza and Hamas’s demand for guarantees that fighting will not resume after the first stage of any agreement.
He described the talks as “tough and [they] have yet to produce any real breakthrough,” but added that mediators were making strong efforts to close the gaps.
Another Palestinian official said the discussions were centred on five main points: a permanent ceasefire, the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, Israeli troop withdrawal, aid delivery arrangements, and post-war governance.
President Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were expected in Egypt on Wednesday.
“We have a really good chance of making a deal, and it'll be a lasting deal,” Trump told reporters in Washington.
In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, 29-year-old Hagar reflected on the attack at the Nova music festival, where 378 people were killed and many others taken hostage.
“No place feels like home anymore and until all the hostages come back none of us will feel safe,” she said. “When we see everybody home again, we can breathe again. Then we can start to recover.”
Outside Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, crowds gathered in solidarity with the families of those still held in Gaza. Israel says 48 hostages remain captive, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
Protester Atalia Regev said: “We need to do every compromise needed for the hostages to come back home. But we really want assurances that we will be safe.”
Surveys show that around 70% of Israelis support ending the war in exchange for the release of the hostages. At the Nova festival site, mourners paid their respects as the sound of Israeli air strikes echoed from Gaza, just a few kilometres away.
In Gaza City, heavy bombardment continued through the night in Tal al-Hawa, Rimal, Nasr, Sheikh Radwan and Shati refugee camp. “When the evening comes, the fear comes with it,” said Emaan al-Wahidi, who lost her 17-year-old son to an Israeli strike last year.
“Me and my three children are afraid of the air strikes. All night we are sleeping together, holding each other, especially my smallest child who puts his head on me all night.”
“Every second we look at the news to see what happened. And I'm afraid that this ceasefire will not be completed and that the war will come back to us,” she added.
Hospitals in Gaza continued to struggle. Al-Shifa hospital reported receiving six bodies by afternoon, including three from an Israeli strike in al-Sabra. Nasser hospital in Khan Younis received two more, including one person killed while seeking aid.
Unicef spokesperson James Elder described dire conditions in paediatric wards.
“In one of the paediatric rooms, there were three babies and three mums on a single bed, one source of oxygen, and the mothers would rotate the oxygen 20 minutes to each child,” he said.
“This is the level of desperation mums have now got to.”
The health ministry said 25 of Gaza’s 38 hospitals were out of service, and the remaining 13 were operating only partially.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military reported that a rocket launched from northern Gaza triggered sirens in Netiv HaAsara on Tuesday morning.
The projectile fell without causing injuries or damage.
Independent international journalists have been barred by Israel from entering Gaza since the start of the war, making verification of claims from both sides difficult.