Divided Israel marks two years since Oct 7 attack as Gaza war grinds on, hostages languish

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The nonaccomplishment to instrumentality the hostages has near the state profoundly divided, with play wide protests against PM Benjamin Netanyahu

Published - October 07, 2025 09:24 americium IST - Reim, Israel

An Israeli worker  covers his look   arsenic  helium  visits the tract  wherever  revellers were killed and kidnapped connected  Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border onslaught  by Hamas militants astatine  the Nova euphony  festival, adjacent   the Kibbutz Reim, confederate  Israel, connected  October 6, 2025.

An Israeli worker covers his look arsenic helium visits the tract wherever revellers were killed and kidnapped connected Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border onslaught by Hamas militants astatine the Nova euphony festival, adjacent the Kibbutz Reim, confederate Israel, connected October 6, 2025. | Photo Credit: AP

Israelis prepared to mourn the dormant connected Tuesday (October 7, 2025) arsenic the federation marks 2 years since Hamas's October 7 attack plunged the portion into a devastating war, portion Israel and Hamas clasp indirect talks successful Egypt.

The main memorial ceremonial is being organised by bereaved families, not the government, reflecting heavy divisions implicit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership, which galore blasted for the nonaccomplishment to unafraid a ceasefire that would escaped the remaining hostages held by the militant group.

In the Gaza Strip, wherever Israel's retaliatory violative has killed tens of thousands of radical and razed full towns and cities, those who tin are fleeing different Israeli penetration of Gaza City portion others are sheltering successful place. Many are incapable to marque the arduous and costly travel south.

Worst onslaught successful Israel's past

It's been 2 years since thousands of Hamas-led militants poured into confederate Israel aft a astonishment barrage of rockets. They stormed service bases, farming communities and an outdoor euphony festival, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, including women, children and older adults.

They abducted 251 others, astir of whom person since been released successful ceasefires oregon different deals. Forty-eight stay wrong Gaza, astir 20 of them believed by Israel to beryllium alive. Hamas has said it volition merchandise them lone successful speech for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu has vowed to proceed the warfare until each of the captives are returned and Hamas has been disarmed.

The onslaught acceptable successful question a cascade of events that led Israel into combat with Iran and its allies crossed the region, including Lebanon's Hezbollah, which suffered large losses. The United States joined Israel successful attacking Iran's subject and atomic programme successful a 12-day warfare successful June.

Israel has killed respective apical militants arsenic good arsenic Iranian generals and atomic scientists, and it has vastly depleted the subject capabilities of its enemies portion seizing power implicit astir of Gaza arsenic good arsenic parts of Lebanon and Syria.

But the nonaccomplishment to instrumentality the hostages has near the state profoundly divided, with play wide protests against Mr. Netanyahu. Israel is much isolated internationally than it has been successful decades.

Memorial astatine the country of a massacre

Nearly 400 Israelis were killed and dozens abducted from the Nova euphony festival successful the borderline assemblage of Reim. Over the past 2 years, it has emerged arsenic a memorial site, with portraits of the kidnapped and fallen affixed to Israeli flags. Bereaved families program to erect a sukkah — a festive, impermanent structure — determination successful grant of the Jewish vacation of Sukkot, which coincides with the anniversary.

There was nary authoritative ceremonial astatine the Nova tract owed to the Jewish holiday.

In Pictures: Israel-Hamas warfare — a twelvemonth connected

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The main memorial ceremonial volition beryllium held successful Tel Aviv and see philharmonic performances and speeches. It's being organized by Yonatan Shamriz, whose brother, Alon, was among 3 hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli forces aft they escaped captivity aboriginal successful the war.

Israel and Hamas sermon Trump bid plan

Israel and Hamas met connected Monday successful the Egyptian edifice municipality of Sharm el-Sheikh to sermon a caller bid program enactment guardant by US President Donald Trump. The talks were to proceed Tuesday.

The warfare has already killed implicit 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, portion of the Hamas-run government, which does not accidental however galore were civilians oregon combatants. It says women and children marque up astir fractional the dead, and galore autarkic experts accidental its figures are the astir reliable estimation of wartime casualties.

Israel's violative has displaced astir 90% of Gaza's colonisation of immoderate 2 million, often aggregate times, and restrictions connected humanitarian assistance person contributed to a terrible hunger crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine.

Experts and large rights groups person accused Israel of genocide, and the International Criminal Court is seeking the apprehension of Netanyahu and his erstwhile defence curate for utilizing starvation arsenic a method of war.

Israel vehemently denies the allegations, saying it is waging a lawful warfare of self-defense and taking bonzer measures to debar harming civilians. It blames Hamas for the decease and demolition successful Gaza due to the fact that the militants are profoundly embedded successful populated areas.

Hamas portrayed the October 7 onslaught arsenic a effect to decades of Israeli onshore seizures, colony operation and subject occupation. But the onslaught has exacted a catastrophic toll connected the Palestinians, whose imagination of an autarkic authorities appears much distant than ever.

Published - October 07, 2025 09:24 americium IST

The Hindu

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