Israelis observed moments of silence and gathered at attack sites on October 7, 2026, marking the third anniversary of the Hamas-led assault. Anti-government protests accompanied the commemorations, with demands for accountability ahead of the October 27 general election.

Families return to attack sites

Relatives and survivors gathered at the Nova music festival site in southern Israel, near the Gaza border. Families also mourned at road junctions and bomb shelters overrun during the 2023 attack.

At Nova, mourners bowed their heads among portraits of victims and flowers. Tributes began at 6:29 a.m., the time the attack started. An evening ceremony organised by Kumu, an anniversary event group, was scheduled for 9:15 p.m. at Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park.

The public gatherings were separate from official state memorial services held on October 5. The government chose that date to fall closer to the anniversary in the Hebrew calendar.

In a statement, victims’ families said remembrance also required understanding how Israel had allowed the attack to happen. They said they were mourning alongside more than 2,200 families who had lost loved ones in the attack and subsequent war.

Protesters demand accountability before election

Anti-government protesters blocked Tel Aviv’s Ayalon Highway during the early-morning tributes, according to images released by the Israeli pro-democracy protest movement. The movement said police cleared them from the road. Demonstrations also took place near parliament in Jerusalem and at other locations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected blame for the security breach and resisted an independent inquiry. He published redacted government documents instead of launching an investigation, describing the attack as a serious intelligence failure.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir issued a warning from near Tulkarem, a city in the West Bank. He called for disarming the Palestinian Authority and detaining people who threaten Israeli citizens.

First anniversary without hostages in Gaza

The 2023 attack killed about 1,200 people. Reports differ on the number taken hostage: Reuters reported 251, while Euronews cited a UN inquiry giving a figure of 252.

This was the first anniversary with no hostages still held in Gaza, Reuters reported. All surviving hostages had returned home, and the remains of the last Israeli hostage were recovered in January.

The anniversary also followed nearly a year of a US-brokered ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, 2025. It halted major fighting but has not stopped Israeli attacks in Gaza.

Reported death tolls from Israel’s campaign differ: Gaza health authorities put the total above 74,000, while Euronews cited a UN estimate of up to 75,000. Gaza officials said at least two people were killed in overnight strikes, and AFP reporters heard loud bangs across the border during the commemorations.