Israel marks third anniversary of October 7 attacks with tributes, Gaza strikes and political debate

What happened in Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack, and why is it being commemorated across Israel three years later?

On October 7, 2023, Palestinian fighters breached Israel’s border with gunfire, rockets, and grenades. Hamas militants attacked communities and the Nova music festival, killing 1,221 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. It was Israel’s deadliest attack ever.

Three years later, families gathered at Nova and Kfar Aza to remember those killed. Some stood silently, while one mourner played techno music for the fallen. The ceremonies turn specific places of violence into national memorials. They also keep attention on the hostages and the state’s failure to prevent the assault.

The anniversary matters beyond remembrance. It has become a major political test before Israel’s October 27 election. Israelis are debating Netanyahu’s wartime decisions, Hamas’s continued presence, and how a country known for defending its borders suffered such a catastrophic breach. Commemorations therefore combine grief, anger, and political judgment.

How many people were killed or taken hostage in the attack, and how many Palestinians have been killed or displaced in the war that followed?

The October 7 attack killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Hamas fighters also dragged 251 hostages into Gaza. The article says 44 of those hostages were already dead. These figures show the attack’s immediate human cost and the continuing hostage crisis.

Israel’s military campaign produced a far larger disaster in Gaza. Gaza’s health ministry reported more than 74,200 Palestinian deaths. The ministry operates under Hamas authority, but the United Nations considers its figures reliable. Nearly the entire population was displaced during the offensive.

The numbers describe different forms of loss. Israel suffered mass killings, hostage-taking, and a national shock. Gaza faced enormous death, repeated displacement, and widespread destruction. Most of the territory was reduced to rubble, according to the article. These totals remain central to arguments over responsibility, military aims, and the war’s future.

Why did Israel carry out strikes in Gaza even though a ceasefire was officially in place?

Israel carried out new strikes because the conflict’s central objectives remained unresolved. Israel says it will not allow Hamas to rule Gaza, and Netanyahu vowed that Hamas would never govern the territory. The strikes therefore continued as part of the broader military response to the October 7 attack, despite the ceasefire.

The article describes the ceasefire as officially in place for the past year. Yet AFP reporters heard loud bangs from Gaza during anniversary ceremonies at Nova and Kfar Aza. Gaza officials said overnight strikes killed at least two people. These events show the gap between a formal ceasefire and conditions on the ground.

The article does not give a detailed explanation for each strike or identify a specific trigger. It does show that Hamas remained in control of part of Gaza and had suffered major losses. That unresolved reality kept military pressure and political conflict alive, even under a declared truce.

Why has October 7 become a central issue in Israel's upcoming election and a source of criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?

October 7 has become central to Israel’s election because it exposed a failure at the heart of the state’s security mission. Israel prides itself on defending its borders, yet Hamas fighters breached the border, killed 1,221 people, and seized 251 hostages. Voters are therefore judging both the attack and the response.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has led Israel through the Gaza offensive and wars involving Hezbollah and Iran. Former prime minister Naftali Bennett called October 7 “a colossal failure of the state of Israel.” Yair Golan said a government that had not destroyed Hamas’s rule after three years was dangerous to Israel.

The October 27 election is the first since the attack, and polls show a tight race for Netanyahu. The anniversary brings public grief together with questions about accountability, military strategy, and Hamas’s continued control of part of Gaza. Netanyahu’s vows against Hamas may reassure some voters, while others blame his government for the original failure.

How did Hamas come to control Gaza, and why does Israel say it will not allow Hamas to govern the territory?

Hamas came to control Gaza after seizing the territory in 2007. The article identifies that takeover as the start of Israel’s blockade and describes Hamas as the Islamist movement ruling Gaza. After the war, Hamas remained battered but still controlled part of the territory.

Israel’s refusal to accept Hamas rule is tied directly to the October 7 attack. Hamas fighters crossed the border, killed 1,221 people, and took 251 hostages. Netanyahu vowed there would be “no forgiveness for the murderers” and said Israel would never allow Hamas to govern Gaza again.

This position makes control of Gaza a central unresolved issue. Israel’s campaign weakened Hamas but did not eliminate its authority everywhere. Hamas, meanwhile, called the attack a response to decades of suffering and remained defiant. The continuing dispute over governance means a ceasefire alone does not settle who will control Gaza or how security will be maintained.

What have the Israeli military campaign and Hamas's continued control of parts of Gaza changed for people living in the territory?

The Israeli military campaign transformed daily life across Gaza. More than 74,200 people were reported killed, and nearly the entire population was displaced. Most of the territory was reduced to rubble after relentless bombing. Homes, neighborhoods, and familiar community spaces were destroyed or abandoned.

The campaign followed Hamas’s October 7 attack and Israel’s stated goal of preventing Hamas from ruling Gaza. Yet Hamas remained battered rather than eliminated. It still controlled part of the territory, according to the article. That continued presence means the war changed Gaza without resolving its central political and security dispute.

For residents, the result is a combination of mass displacement, bereavement, destruction, and uncertainty. People have been forced away from homes while fighting and strikes continue despite an officially declared ceasefire. The future remains unclear because Israel rejects Hamas governance, but the article does not identify an agreed replacement authority or reconstruction plan.

What is a blockade, and how has Israel's blockade of Gaza since 2007 shaped the conflict between Israel and Hamas?

A blockade is a restriction on movement and supplies entering or leaving a territory. In Gaza’s case, Israel imposed a blockade after Hamas seized control in 2007. The measure became part of the conflict’s long-running structure, affecting how Gaza relates to Israel and how pressure is applied to Hamas.

Hamas described the October 7 attack as a response to decades of suffering, including the blockade. It called the assault a culmination of that suffering. Israel, meanwhile, links its military response to the attack and says Hamas must not rule Gaza. The blockade therefore sits inside a cycle of restriction, armed conflict, and retaliation.

The article presents the blockade as a major grievance but does not detail its specific rules or effects. It shows that the measure has political and human consequences beyond border control. Hamas uses it to justify its narrative, while Israel’s security policy treats Hamas’s rule as unacceptable. That disagreement continues to shape any possible settlement.

Key Facts:

📌 Hamas fighters breached Israel’s border on October 7, 2023.

📌 The attack killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally.

📌 Families commemorated the dead at Nova and Kfar Aza.

📌 The attack killed 1,221 people.

📌 Hamas took 251 hostages into Gaza.

📌 More than 74,200 Palestinians were reported killed.

📌 Strikes continued despite an officially yearlong ceasefire.