Israel marks third anniversary of October 7 Hamas terror attacks with memorials

Israel is marking the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Wednesday with memorials across the country.

At the site of the Nova music festival, where more than 300 people were killed, families gathered at dawn for a moment of silence and paid tribute in front of portraits both of festival-goers and security forces who died on October 7.

At the Kfar Aza kibbutz, another attack site, mourners watched in silence the raising of an Israeli flag.

Others are expected to gather at intersections and bomb shelters to mark one of the deadliest attacks against Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage.

The last living hostages were released a year ago under a US-brokered ceasefire deal.

The anniversary of the attacks also comes just ahead of the October 27 elections in Israel.

Germany stands firmly by Israel's side, says Merz

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday reaffirmed Germany's support for Israel on the anniversary, saying the country stood firmly by Israel's side and was committed to preventing a repeat of the October 7 attack.

"We stand for the security and existence of Israel," the German chancellor said.

Merz also called for a political settlement saying for peace and security in the region "can best be achieved through the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel."

Warning of rising antisemitism in Germany, Merz said his government would "do everything in its power to consistently combat anti-Semitism in all its new and old forms."

Two dead in Gaza in Israeli strikes

New Israeli strikes in Gaza on Wednesday killed two people, Palestinian officials reported.

One of those killed was identified as a volunteer with the emergency rescue agency under Hamas. The European Union, as well as the United States, Germany, and other countries, classify Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Israel's war in Gaza following the October 7 attacks has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to the territory's Health Ministry, around half of them women and children, and displaced most of the population.

Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher