Israel is marking two years of pain since the Hamas attack, as the Gaza war reverberates across official commemorative events

Reem, southern Israel – The people of Israel were marking a sombre occasion on Tuesday, mourning his death two years after the Hamas-led terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed that day, most of them civilians, and 251 others Taken hostage. Israeli officials believe 48 people remain detained in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

Their families are desperate for a deal to end the war and bring their loved ones home.

indirect Negotiations between Hamas and Israel They were entering a second day in Egypt, prompted by President Trump’s calls for both sides to agree to a ceasefire based on a recently announced peace proposal.

The pressure on Israel and Hamas has been coming not just from the White House but from around the world, with many of Israel’s Arab neighbors pushing Hamas to accept the peace deal and support Mr. Trump’s proposal.

In a letter referring to what he called “the most brutal terrorist attack in Israel’s history,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the United States government’s “steadfast support for Israel’s right to exist, to defend itself, and to ensure the safety of its people.”

Rubio said the Trump administration was “leading efforts to secure all hostages, end Hamas’ rule in Gaza, and promote a solid peace that ensures not only Israel’s security, but peace and prosperity in the region.”

“I have said it time and time again, and I repeat it today with even greater urgency: Free the hostages, unconditionally,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement. “End the fighting in Gaza, Israel and the region now. Stop making civilians pay with their lives and their future.”

The main memorial event on October 7, in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, was organized by the bereaved families – not the government, reflecting the deep divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership since the attack.

Many Israelis blame him for their failure to bring all the hostages home.

“We can’t move forward, we can’t,” said Aden Ghanem, whose cousin, Yosef Ohana, remains in captivity in Gaza. “This is not the same life we ​​had before October 7.

Israel’s continued and devastating Hamas attack has provoked The war in the Gaza Strip. More than 67,000 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Hamas region. Huge swaths of the coastal enclave, home to more than two million people, have been destroyed.

On Monday, the Nir Oz community — where more than 400 residents were killed or kidnapped — came together in song and prayer.

Arit Lahav was hiding with her daughter in her safe room that day two years ago. “We were holding hands, and we thought, ‘This is it. These are our last minutes,'” she said. “We just said loving words to each other. Goodbye words.”

Another memorial was created Tuesday at the site of the Nova Music Festival, near the Gaza border in Israel’s southern desert. He was Overrun by Hamas terrorists On October 7 two years ago, nearly 380 people were killed.

Orit Baron, whose daughter Yuval was among the festival-goers that day, along with her fiancé Moshe Shuva, told the French news agency AFP that she had come to the site “to be with her, because this is the last time she was alive.”

The Baron was among dozens of friends and relatives of those killed, and others just wishing to pay their respects. She lit many candles and stood for a minute in silence, remembering those lost to terrorism.

As they did, the sounds of war in Gaza, just a few miles away, continued to echo in the air.

Agnes Rio and

tucker sr

He contributed to this report.