| By AP News Photos: YouTube Screenshots A scarred Israel marks one year since Hamas’ attack as war in Gaza rages on Israelis held vigils and somber ceremonies to mark a year since the Oct. 7 Hamas’ attack. The cross-border attack caught Israel unprepared, shattered its sense of security and shook its faith in its leaders and the military. Its aftershocks still ripple one year later. For the dozens of hostages still in captivity, there is no end in sight to their struggle. Border communities have been upended and tens of thousands displaced. Soldiers are being killed in Gaza and Lebanon. Israel faces ongoing international criticism over its wartime conduct, with two world courts examining its actions. Read more. |
| Recent developments: At 6:29 a.m. local time — the exact minute Hamas launched its attack — the families of those killed at the Nova music festival, joined by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, gathered at the site where almost 400 revelers were gunned down and from where many others were taken hostage. At 6:31 a.m., four projectiles were launched from Gaza, the Israeli military said, setting off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv, as well as closer to the Gaza border. The ceremony was not disrupted. In Gaza, which is still buckling under the weight of the ongoing war, no formal commemorative event is planned. More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and most of the territory’s 2.3 million population has been displaced. The massive destruction and displacement are a constant reminder of the retaliatory Israeli assault on the territory, which has no end in sight. Marking the moment Hamas’ attack began a year ago, the families of hostages still held in Gaza — about 100, a third of whom are said to be dead — gathered near Benjamin Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence and stood during a two-minute siren. A group representing the families announced that another captive was dead. Idan Shtivi, 28, was snatched from the Nova music festival and was believed to be alive. Israeli media reported he was killed during the attack and his body was taken into Gaza. |
