Israel marks third anniversary of October 7 attack as election looms
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Israel will mark the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Wednesday with memorial events across the country, as heightened security surrounds the commemorations and voters prepare for an election in which the deadliest day in Israel’s history is expected to remain a central issue.
By: FRANCE 24 People visit the site of the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, on October 5, 2026. © Ohad Zwigenberg, AP Israel marks the third anniversary of Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Wednesday, just weeks before an election in which the deadliest day in the country's history will be front and centre.
Commemorative events will also be the first to be held since a ceasefire officially began in war-torn Gaza last year.
Memorial events are planned throughout the day to pay tribute to the scores of people killed by militants led by the Islamist movement during their assault from Gaza.
Palestinian fighters breached the border, storming southern Israel with gunfire, rockets and grenades, and resulting in the deaths of 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also dragged 251 hostages into Gaza, 44 of them already dead.
At 06:29am (0329 GMT), the exact time the Hamas attack began three years ago, a tribute is due to be held at Kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza border, where militants killed 64 residents and abducted 18 people during their attack.
Another event is scheduled at the site of the Nova music festival in southern Israel, where militants killed more than 370 people and seized dozens of hostages.
Bereaved families are also organising a gathering in a Tel Aviv park on Wednesday evening.
The events will be held under heightened security measures, three weeks from Israel's general elections and one week after a foiled attack on a Tel Aviv-bound passenger plane.
Israel 's defence minister said Tuesday he had put the military on high alert "in light of intelligence regarding Hamas's intentions to attempt to carry out attacks" against troops in Gaza on the anniversary.
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In response to Hamas 's unprecedented assault, Israel launched a massive military offensive that has left most of Gaza in ruins and killed more than 74,200 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, which is under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations .
In the three years since, Israel has also expanded its military reach across the Middle East – fighting on several fronts spanning from a conflict with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to Iran .
In Gaza, the humanitarian situation remains dire despite a fragile US -brokered ceasefire declared last October, with hundreds of thousands still forced to live in tents and temporary structures.
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Israel says it controls more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip and has continued its airstrikes, vowing to eliminate threats from Hamas and target those involved in the October 7 attack.
Since the ceasefire , Israeli forces have killed more than 1,430 people in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry.
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