Hamas issued a statement in which it praised the events of October 7, describing them as “an important turning point in the history of the conflict with the Israeli occupation.”
The statement praised those it described as "heroes" of the Al-Qassam Brigades who "brought down the myth of the invincible army."
The statement described the operation, which it called “Al-Aqsa Flood,” as “a natural response and the culmination of bitter suffering” imposed by Israel “through decades of aggression, stifling siege, systematic killing, and deprivation of rights,” stressing that “the spirit of the flood is still alive in our people and our nation.”
The statement also states that the idea that the conflict with Israel began on October 7, 2023 is a “blatant falsification of reality and motives,” stressing that the conflict began before that and “its final chapters have not yet been written.”
The Hamas statement accused Israel of committing genocide, noting that 74,000 Palestinians were killed and 175,000 injured, “in addition to tens of thousands of prisoners and thousands of missing persons” as a result of the war in Gaza, adding that there were approximately 1,500 Palestinian deaths in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire was agreed upon last October.
In a separate post on the "Telegram" application, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, published symbolic pictures, including a picture of a paratrooper with Al-Aqsa Mosque behind him, and another of soldiers breaching a wall, part of which was demolished, in reference to the paratroopers and Hamas gunmen who breached the Israeli border during the October 7 attacks.
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that Israel “will accomplish the mission,” coinciding with the third anniversary of the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages.
He said in a post on the “X” platform: “Today I lit a memorial candle in the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.”
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He added: “The nation is united on this day in feelings of nostalgia for our loved ones. We will accomplish the mission: we have settled the score and we will continue to settle the score with all the killers.”
Israel responded to Hamas' surprise attack at the time by launching a large-scale military offensive in Gaza that has to date killed at least 74,200 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, figures recognized by the United Nations.
Today, several memorial events are being held across Israel to commemorate the October 7 attacks, including a ceremony at the site of the Nova Music Festival, where hundreds were killed and others were taken hostage.
Three years later, calls continue in Israel to establish an independent investigation committee into what are described as the security failures surrounding that day.
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Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who has criticized current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for “not preventing the attack*, joined the tribute ceremony at Nova.
“It was a miserable failure for the State of Israel, which was created to defend the Jews in our land,” Bennett told reporters.
He added: "But during those minutes, young Israelis from all over Israel rose to fight, to protect and save lives, the lives of their brothers and sisters, and a generation of heroes was born. We owe it to this exceptional generation to rebuild our country to be stronger and better."
Israel witnessed a number of events: At 06:29, the time when Hamas launched its attack three years ago, a national minute of silence was held. A memorial was also erected in Kfar Azza, a kibbutz near Gaza that was attacked.
A national memorial ceremony was also held in Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, organized by a popular movement that includes survivors and bereaved families.
Others visited the site of the Nova Music Festival where more than 348 people were killed and 44 were taken hostage.
Bruno Ritaio, the candidate of the Republican Party in the French presidential elections, was present at the venue, and he believed that Hamas had “distorted” the Palestinian cause with its attack, which led to the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip, according to Ritayo.
The October 7 commemoration ceremony is being held under a heightened security alert, three weeks before the legislative elections, the first since the attack, and a week after what was described as an attempted attack on a Fly Dubai* plane heading to Tel Aviv.
On Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz ordered the army to increase vigilance, based on what was described as “intelligence information about possible Hamas attacks” on Israeli forces.
In turn, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham praised "those who were killed without cause by Hamas terrorists" in the October 7 attacks, as he described it.
He said in a post on social media, “The impact of the attacks was not limited to Israel, but extended to Jewish communities around the world, which continue to bear the brunt of the tragic events that occurred that day.”
He noted a "worrying rise in anti-Semitic behavior in the UK" in the years following the attacks.
He added: “I want the Jewish community in Britain to hear this directly from me: We stand with you. "Any form of abuse or violence against you will not be tolerated."
What happened on October 7?
Shortly after sunrise on October 7, 2023, the Hamas-led attack on Israel began.
It started with a barrage of thousands of missiles fired at the country.
With the launch of the rockets, an estimated 6,000 militants led by Hamas were able to penetrate the border into Israel in dozens of locations, entering using cars, motorcycles, and in some cases by gliders.
They attacked military bases and stormed a number of kibbutzim, which are small residential communities, near the border, setting fire to homes and killing civilians.
On Kibbutz Nir Oz, 41 people were killed and 76 kidnapped from a community of 400 people.
The attackers also targeted the Nova music festival in the Negev Desert, and opened fire on its patrons, killing 378 people and kidnapping 44 others, according to Israeli army statistics.
In all, about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Nearly a year ago, Hamas and Israel agreed to stop the war after accepting the 20-point peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump. The plan included suspending “all military operations, including aerial and artillery bombardment*, and handing over to Hamas all its remaining hostages.
Despite the announcement of a ceasefire, Israeli strikes continued in Gaza, amid repeated warnings from the United Nations regarding the deterioration of the humanitarian and living conditions of the population, in light of the continuing humanitarian needs and worsening difficult conditions.
According to the latest figures issued by the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, more than 1,460 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Strip since the ceasefire entered into force.
For its part, the Israeli army confirmed that it is carrying out its operations “in a precise manner to remove threats and protect its forces and Israeli civilians, in accordance with the agreement.”
Last month, the Israeli army announced the killing of five of its soldiers during combat operations since the start of the ceasefire, in addition to the death of one contractor in what it described as an “operational accident.”
Activities around the world between support and condemnation of Israel
In Britain, British Jews organized a solidarity vigil in front of Downing Street in London, attended by politicians, and participants raised pictures of British-Israeli citizens who were killed in their homes, at the Nova music festival, during the fighting against Hamas, or after being taken hostage.
Sharon Lifshitz, a British-Israeli citizen from east London, mourned her father Oded - a peace activist - who was killed after being held hostage by Hamas; Her mother, Yokhoved, was also kidnapped and later released.
In a post on social media, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “The impact of these attacks has extended beyond Israel, to include Jewish communities around the world who continue to bear the brunt of the tragic events that occurred that day.”
He added: “I want the Jewish community in Britain to hear this directly from me: We stand with you, and we will never tolerate any form of abuse or violence directed against you*,” stressing that anti-Semitism “has no place in this country*.”
He continued, saying: “Any attack on Jews in Britain is an attack on all of us; Anti-Semitism has no place in this country, and we will do everything in our power to eradicate it completely.”
On the other hand, London witnessed a pro-Palestinian demonstration, ignoring a request from the Metropolitan Police to cancel the march organized by a coalition affiliated with the University of London.
Police had said the march might cause discontent on a day designated for mourning and reflection, and also expressed concern about its impact on Jewish students and staff.
Some members of the Jewish community called for the march to be banned, but the police clarified that they did not have the legal justifications to ask the Minister of the Interior to issue a ban, and instead merely called on the organizers to consider the possibility of postponing it for another day.
The demonstrators were accompanied by drummers, chanting: “Free, free Palestine” and “Israel is a terrorist state.”
The banner extended for dozens of meters, wrapping around the far side of the square where the demonstrators gathered.
In Australia, hundreds gathered earlier in Sydney to commemorate the anniversary of the October 7 attacks.
In contrast, pro-Palestinian demonstrators placed poppies on the grass in front of the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia.
They placed a banner bearing a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in handcuffs, holding a banner accusing him of committing genocide.
In Germany, the Jewish Student Union held a solidarity stand at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the German opposition, described the Hamas-led attack as a “deep rift,” saying: “We remember the victims and share their pain,” adding that anti-Semitism must be addressed “with greater resolve.”
In France, a memorial to the victims of the attacks was unveiled in the southern city of Carcassonne.
