Israel marks third anniversary of October 7 attack as election looms

What happened in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that Israel is commemorating?

On October 7, 2023, Hamas-led Palestinian fighters launched an unprecedented assault from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel. They breached the border and attacked communities and civilians with gunfire, rockets, and grenades. Israel is commemorating the event because it caused the deadliest day in the country’s history and began the war that followed.

The attack killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Militants also seized 251 hostages and took them into Gaza. Forty-four of those hostages were already dead, the article says. At Kibbutz Kfar Aza, 64 residents were killed and 18 people were abducted. More than 370 people died at the Nova music festival.

The anniversary remains central because its consequences continue. Israel launched a major offensive in Gaza, while families still remember those killed and taken hostage. Memorials are being held at the attack sites, including Kfar Aza and the Nova festival grounds.

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

The October 7 attack killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. It also involved 251 hostages taken into Gaza. The article says 44 of those hostages were already dead. These figures show why the attack remains a defining national trauma in Israel and a central issue before the election.

The war that followed has caused a much larger reported death toll in Gaza. Gaza’s health ministry says more than 74,200 people have been killed. The article notes that the ministry is under Hamas authority, but the United Nations considers its figures reliable. The reported Gaza total covers the broader military conflict, not only the initial attack.

Numbers in wartime can change as authorities identify victims and update records. Still, the scale described in the article is clear: a mass-casualty attack in Israel was followed by a devastating offensive in Gaza. More than 1,430 people have reportedly been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began.

Why is the October 7 attack expected to be a major issue in Israel’s upcoming election?

The attack is expected to dominate Israel’s election because it remains the country’s deadliest day and triggered a war that continues to shape national life. Voters are confronting its human cost, the hostage crisis, continuing security concerns, and the government’s policy toward Gaza. The anniversary itself falls just weeks before the vote, making the subject especially immediate.

Memorial events will take place across Israel, including at Kibbutz Kfar Aza and the Nova music festival site. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there will be no Hamas rule in Gaza and has vowed to keep targeting people involved in the attack or hostage-taking. Those statements connect remembrance directly to current military policy.

The election will therefore unfold alongside mourning and a continuing conflict. The article says October 7 is expected to remain front and centre. Questions about security, military goals, hostages, Gaza’s future, and reconstruction are likely to remain politically important because none has been fully settled.

Why are memorial events being held under heightened security, and what threats are Israeli authorities responding to?

Memorial events are under heightened security because authorities believe the anniversary could create an opportunity for new attacks. Israel’s defence minister said intelligence indicated that Hamas intended to attack troops in Gaza around October 7. Security officials must therefore protect both military personnel and civilians attending public commemorations.

The article also reports that a Tel Aviv-bound passenger plane attack was foiled one week before the anniversary. This incident added to the concern surrounding travel and public gatherings. At Kfar Aza, a tribute is scheduled for the exact time the original attack began, 6:29 a.m., while other events will draw mourners to the Nova festival site and a Tel Aviv park.

The response is preventive rather than proof that an attack will occur. Israel has raised military readiness and increased protection around ceremonies. The anniversary could bring further threats against troops, transport, or crowded memorial sites, so authorities are treating the commemorations as a high-risk period.

How has Israel’s military response changed Gaza’s population, infrastructure, and humanitarian situation?

Israel’s military response has transformed Gaza’s physical and human landscape. The article says most of the territory is in ruins after Israel launched a massive offensive following the October 7 attack. Israel also says it controls more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip. The result is widespread destruction and continuing displacement.

Hundreds of thousands of people are still living in tents and temporary structures. That means many residents lack stable homes and face difficult access to basic services. Gaza’s health ministry reports more than 74,200 deaths in the war, while the article says more than 1,430 additional people have been killed since the ceasefire began.

Humanitarian conditions therefore remain dire despite the ceasefire. Reconstruction and Gaza’s political future are largely stalled in practice. Continued Israeli airstrikes and Israel’s stated aim of eliminating Hamas threats mean destruction, displacement, and uncertainty may persist unless security and political arrangements change.

What is a ceasefire, and why can severe humanitarian problems and military violence continue even after one is declared?

A ceasefire is an agreement or declared pause in fighting between opposing sides. It can reduce violence, allow aid, and create space for negotiations. It does not necessarily resolve the conflict, remove military forces, or guarantee that every weapon will stop. Those details depend on the terms and whether the parties follow them.

The article describes a fragile, US-brokered ceasefire that began last October. Yet Israel says it has continued airstrikes and still controls more than 60 percent of Gaza. Gaza’s health ministry says Israeli forces have killed more than 1,430 people since the ceasefire. These facts show how a ceasefire can coexist with limited or continuing military action.

Humanitarian problems also continue because homes and infrastructure were already destroyed, while hundreds of thousands remain in tents. Political plans for Gaza and reconstruction are largely stalled. A ceasefire may reduce some fighting, but lasting relief requires enforcement, access for aid, security arrangements, and a broader political settlement.

What is the Gaza Strip, and why has it been central to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

The Gaza Strip is a small, densely populated coastal territory on the eastern Mediterranean, bordering Israel and Egypt. Palestinians live there, and it is one of the main territories associated with a future Palestinian state. The article presents Gaza as the base from which Hamas-led fighters launched the October 7 attack and as the place where hostages were taken.

Gaza became central to the conflict because control and security there affect both Israelis and Palestinians. Hamas has exercised authority in Gaza, while Israel has fought it and says it wants to eliminate threats from the territory. The strip’s borders, movement of people and goods, security, governance, and reconstruction are all disputed issues.

The article shows why Gaza remains central today. Israel says it controls more than 60 percent of the strip, while most of Gaza is in ruins and hundreds of thousands live in temporary shelters. Its political future and reconstruction remain largely stalled, keeping Gaza at the heart of the wider conflict.

Key Facts:

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

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

📌 Militants dragged 251 hostages into Gaza.

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

📌 Militants took 251 hostages into Gaza, including 44 already dead.

📌 Gaza’s health ministry reports more than 74,200 war deaths.

📌 October 7 was the deadliest day in Israel’s history.