Israelis mark three years since October 7 massacre as Palestinians mourn Gaza's destruction
Israelis mark three years since October 7 massacre as Palestinians mourn Gaza's destructionA woman places a candle at the fountain at Dizengoff Square where flowers, candles, memorabilia and pictures of victims of the deadly Hamas-led October 7 attack © REUTERSRami Amichay and Mahmoud Issa8 Oct 2026 5:30 AMShareIsraelis gathered in silence on Wednesday in a kibbutz near the Gaza border that was overrun by Hamas militants on October 7 three years ago, mourning victims of attacks that set off Israel’s assault in Gaza and plunged the Middle East into war.In the Gaza Strip, devastated by two years of Israeli bombardment, Palestinians sheltering among the ruins of destroyed cities recalled life before a war that displaced nearly the entire population and tore apart families.The attacks of October 7, 2023, were the deadliest day in Israel’s history. Militants led by Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, a cross-border incursion that traumatised Israelis who have demanded government accountability.Israel’s subsequent bombardment and ground operations in Gaza have killed more than 74,000 people, including at least 1,400 killed in the past year since a US-brokered ceasefire, which halted major fighting but has failed to stop Israeli attacks or secure the disarmament of Hamas.Read moreExplainer: Trump's Gaza plan has not stopped Israeli fire or disarmed HamasIn Kfar Aza, where Hamas militants killed dozens of Israelis before taking 19 hostages back into Gaza, residents held a vigil for those killed, standing in silence as a trumpet played a solemn bugle call.