Osamagbe Imadiyi
On the first anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attacks, families in southern Israel were commemorating by lighting candles while the sounds of artillery fire and helicopters reverberated from nearby Gaza. The echoes of the continuing fighting provided a sharp and painful reminder of the wars that were started by the Hamas offensive, which claimed 1,205 Israeli lives. Civilians made up the majority.
Hamas militants killed civilians in kibbutzim, small towns, and a music festival when they overran large portions of southern Israel. Masked individuals abducted about 251 people and brought them as hostages to the Gaza Strip. 97 people, including 34 people the Israeli military claims are dead, are still being held captive in the coastal territory.
President Isaac Herzog held a moment of silence at the Nova rave site at 06:29 a.m. to start the day. That was the exact moment a year ago when thousands of rockets were launched from Gaza to give militants who were storming the border with air cover. It is a day that should live in infamy—October 7, 2023. Countless vicious terrorists violated our families, stormed into our homes, set fire to, chopped up, raped, and kidnapped our citizens, our brothers and sisters.The president declared, “This is a scar on humanity.”
At least 370 people were killed in the fields at Kibbutz Reim when Hamas fighters massacred festival attendees in large numbers and kidnapped numerous others. On October 7, it was the area with the highest death toll. In remembrance of the music festival, families wore T-shirts featuring the faces of the missing, while others snapped photos while the trance song that was playing at the rave at the time of the attack played.
The emotions are extremely difficult for the entire Israeli population. It is our hope that after this trying downward spiral, there will only be upward movement going forward,” stated Israel Livman, whose nephew was slain in the festival attack.