Families and survivors are gathering across southern Israel to remember those killed. Some are returning to places linked to the attack, including the site of the Nova music festival.

This year’s anniversary carries a different weight. All remaining Israeli hostages and their remains have returned from Gaza, according to the United Nations.

The return has changed the focus of the commemorations. Families are now mourning those who died while survivors continue to deal with the effects of the attack.

The Oct. 7 attack began the war in Gaza. Three years later, the conflict continues to shape the lives of Israelis and Palestinians.

Gaza Still Faces Severe Hardship

The ceasefire that began in October 2025 has reduced the scale of the fighting. However, it has not ended the violence or the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The United Nations says Israeli strikes and other military activity have continued. Palestinian civilians also face major restrictions on movement and access to aid.

Gaza remains heavily damaged after nearly three years of war. Large numbers of Palestinians remain displaced, often living in crowded areas with poor shelter, water and sanitation.

The UN says about 1.7 million people remain displaced. It also reports that only 19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are functioning even partially.

Health services remain under severe pressure. Medical supplies, fuel and equipment are still in short supply.

A Ceasefire That Has Not Ended the Crisis

The October 2025 ceasefire brought major changes, including the return of all remaining Israeli hostages and their remains.

However, the UN says the ceasefire has not yet brought lasting security or enough humanitarian assistance.

Daily strikes and other violence continue. At the same time, aid groups face funding shortages and restrictions that limit their ability to respond.

The UN has called for the ceasefire to become permanent. Secretary-General António Guterres has also urged the parties to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza at scale and respect international law.

Two Peoples Still Living With the War

For Israelis, Oct. 7 remains a day of mass loss and trauma.

Families remember relatives, friends and neighbors who were killed. Survivors continue to live with physical and emotional scars from the attack and the years that followed.

For Palestinians, the war has brought mass displacement, deaths and widespread destruction.

The UN says civilians in Gaza continue to face intolerable conditions. Humanitarian agencies are also warning about unsafe shelters, limited access to clean water and pressure on basic health services.

The anniversary therefore comes with two very different but connected experiences of loss.

Israelis are remembering the attack that changed their country. Palestinians are living with the destruction and displacement that followed.

The events of Oct. 7 continue to shape both societies. They also remain central to the unresolved political future of Gaza and the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Three years later, the central questions remain unresolved: how Gaza will be governed, how it will recover and rebuild, and whether Israelis and Palestinians can move toward lasting security and peace.

Reporting Credit: United Nations; Israeli government and memorial authorities; Israel Defense Forces; Gaza Health Ministry; Palestinian humanitarian authorities; United Nations humanitarian agencies; official ceasefire records.

Reporting Credit: United Nations; Israeli government and memorial authorities; Israel Defense Forces; Gaza Health Ministry; Palestinian humanitarian authorities; United Nations humanitarian agencies; official ceasefire records.

The post Israelis Mark Oct. 7 Anniversary as Palestinians Face Lasting Gaza War Devastation appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.

Published: October 7, 2025, 22:15 EDT

Israel and the Palestinian territories marked two years since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 assault triggered one of the deadliest and most consequential wars in the region’s history. As mourners gathered across southern Israel and displaced families sought safety in Gaza, indirect talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Egypt under a U.S.-backed peace plan aiming to secure a lasting ceasefire and the release of remaining hostages.

Israelis Gather to Remember the Victims

Thousands gathered across southern Israel on Tuesday to mourn victims of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, which killed around 1,200 people and left deep scars across the nation. The main memorial, organized by bereaved families, took place near the border communities hit hardest during the assault.

At the site of the Nova music festival in Reim, where nearly 400 people were killed and dozens abducted, attendees held a moment of silence at 6:29 a.m. — the precise time militants stormed the grounds. Photos of victims surrounded the former dance floor as survivors recounted the chaos of that morning.

Israel’s government plans a separate ceremony next week, in line with the Hebrew calendar. The division reflects growing discontent with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war and hostage crisis. Many relatives accuse the government of failing to secure a long-term ceasefire that could bring home the remaining captives.

Gaza Endures Another Offensive

In the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian toll remains severe. Israel’s ongoing military operations have devastated urban centers and displaced hundreds of thousands. Gaza’s Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas, reports more than 67,000 Palestinians killed since 2023, roughly half of them women and children. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but independent analysts and major rights groups view the figures as the most reliable estimate available.

Entire neighborhoods in northern Gaza have been reduced to rubble as Israeli forces press forward toward Gaza City, sparking another wave of displacement. Many residents, unable to afford the perilous journey south, remain trapped amid shortages of food, medicine, and clean water.

Israel denies accusations of genocide, asserting its operations target Hamas infrastructure and are carried out in self-defense after the October 7 attack.

Egypt Hosts Renewed Indirect Talks

Diplomatic efforts to end the war have resumed in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Israeli and Hamas negotiators are holding indirect discussions mediated by Egyptian and U.S. officials, focusing on implementing the first phase of a U.S.-drafted peace initiative backed by President Donald Trump.

The proposal seeks an immediate ceasefire in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. According to Egyptian mediators cited by the Associated Press, both sides have agreed on most of the first-phase terms but continue to debate the timeline and conditions for Hamas’ disarmament — a central Israeli demand.

A senior Hamas official told Al Araby Television that the group would reject any foreign military administration of Gaza, calling the entry of international troops “unacceptable.” Another Hamas representative suggested the group might surrender its weapons to a future Palestinian governing body, though that stance was not included in its formal statement.

Political Divides and Global Reactions

The anniversary has rekindled debate within Israel over Netanyahu’s leadership and the long-term strategy for Gaza. Critics accuse his administration of failing to outline a viable political vision for the post-war period, while supporters argue that continued pressure on Hamas remains necessary to guarantee Israel’s security.

Internationally, leaders across Europe and the United Nations marked the anniversary with solemn statements and renewed calls for peace. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Oct. 7 “a black day in Jewish history” and expressed shame over a resurgence of antisemitism since the attack. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described it as “the worst mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust,” while Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said Israel’s response, though grounded in defense, had caused “too many innocent victims among Gaza’s civilian population.”

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement urging the “immediate and unconditional” release of all hostages. He condemned the suffering endured by both sides and urged leaders to “seize the opportunity to end the cycle of trauma and violence.”

Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations Around the World

In Jakarta, more than 1,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched to the U.S. Embassy to protest Israel’s blockade of Gaza and demand the release of activists detained after attempting to breach the blockade by sea. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Free, free Palestine” as police deployed in large numbers to maintain order. Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, has no formal ties with Israel and has consistently voiced support for Palestinian statehood.

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned planned pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses as “un-British,” warning against rhetoric that could incite antisemitism. His comments followed a deadly attack on a synagogue in Manchester days earlier, which heightened tensions nationwide.

The Path Ahead: Fragile Peace and Lingering Uncertainty

Despite renewed diplomatic momentum, major questions remain unresolved. The future governance of Gaza, the status of disarmament, and Israel’s proposed “security perimeter” inside the enclave all remain points of contention.

The U.S.-led plan envisions an eventual transition toward a unified Palestinian administration, but negotiators have yet to clarify how that would be implemented. Analysts warn that without a clear framework for reconstruction and political reconciliation, the cycle of violence could continue.

As families across Israel and Gaza mourn their losses, the region remains suspended between grief and hope — a fragile balance that hinges on whether this latest round of diplomacy can deliver what two years of war could not: a sustainable peace.

Source: AP  News – Live updates: Israelis and Palestinians mark 2 years of war

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