Commemorations took place at more than 400 locations across Israel to mark the third anniversary of the attacks on October 7, 2023.
The observances began with a national moment of silence at 6:29 p.m., coinciding with the tragic time when Hamas launched the assaults, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and the kidnapping of 251 individuals, as reported by Ynet News. The day’s events featured protests for accountability, survivor testimonials, and a memorial ceremony.
Organized mainly by the October Council and the Kumu Movement – civil organizations focused on families affected by the day – many events were notably held at the Nova Music Festival site in the Re’im Forest, where more than 340 lost their lives and 44 were taken. Protests demanding a government inquiry into the attacks also occurred in Caesarea and Jerusalem, according to Ynet News.
The Kumu Movement did not reply promptly to inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
This anniversary arrives amid tensions in Israel, with elections approaching and the country facing economic struggles. Citizens are feeling the weight of leadership decisions and policies that have led to this downturn.
During a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at ongoing conflicts, stating that “4,000 of the 6,000” militants involved in the attacks had been eliminated, but “we will reach all of them,” as reported by CNN.
Both the Kumu Movement and the October Council have persistently called for a state commission to investigate the events of October 7, according to CNN, but Netanyahu has yet to initiate any formal inquiry.
כולנו 7.10 ברגעים האחרונים שלו בממ״ד, מתן נפרד ממני. הוא בתוך התופת, יודע שהמחבלים מתקרבים. ואני, אמא שלו, רחוקה, לא יכולה להגיע, לחבק או להציל את הילד שלי. בעוד דקות הוא ייחטף לעזה. והמדינה לא הייתה שם. לא באותו בוקר, ולא במשך 738 הימים שבהם הופקר בשבי. עד היום אני מצטמררת בכל פעם שאני חוזרת למילים האלה. אבל השבעה באוקטובר הוא לא רק הסיפור שלנו המשפחות. הוא הסיפור של כולנו. אני קוראת לכל אחת ואחד מכם, גם אם לא נפגעתם ישירות בטבח, חזרו להתכתבויות שלכם מאותו בוקר ארור. לרגעי הפחד, ההלם וחוסר הוודאות. שתפו אותם גם אתם. כדי שאף אחד לא יטשטש את היום הזה. #כולנו710
— עינב צנגאוקר (@enavezangauker) October 4, 2026
“We Are All [Oct. 7],” wrote Einav Zangauker, mother of released hostage Matan Zangauker, in a recent post on X. “In his final moments in the safe room, Matan says goodbye to me. He’s in the midst of hell, knowing the terrorists are closing in. And I, his mother, am far away, unable to reach him, to hold him or save my child. In just minutes, he will be abducted to Gaza. And the state wasn’t there. Not that morning, nor during the 738 days he was abandoned in captivity.”
“But [Oct. 7] is not just the story of us, the families. It is the story of all of us. I call on each and every one of you — even if you weren’t directly harmed in the massacre — to go back to your messages from that cursed morning. To the moments of fear, shock, and uncertainty. Share them, too,” the post added. “So that no one can blur this day.”
