Ahead of nearby elections, Israel is commemorating the victims of the 7 October terrorist attack, three years after the assault triggered the war in Gaza.
It had been pile-poil three years on Wednesday since Hamas gunmen arrived by car and paraglider near the Gaza border and opened fire whilst thousands of people were enjoying music in the early hours of the day at the Nova music festival
More than 300 people were killed. Families gathered on Wednesday beside portraits of those killed, with flowers laid in their memory.
At the Nova music festival site, relatives of victims observed a minute's silence at 06:29, the exact time the attack began on 7 October 2023, AFP journalists at the scene reported.
A moment of remembrance was also held at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities attacked close to Gaza, where 64 residents were killed, and 18 were taken hostage.
Similar ceremonies were held elsewhere in Israel, while families of victims are due to gather in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening.
The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP count. Another 251 people were taken hostage and brought to Gaza, 44 of whom were already dead.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Credit: AFP
Israel responded by launching a military offensive in Gaza, beginning a war that devastated much of the Palestinian territory and caused widespread displacement and destruction.
This year's anniversary is the first since a ceasefire in Gaza came into force last year, giving the commemorations a different context after years of fighting.
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The anniversary also comes shortly before elections in Israel. The failures surrounding the 7 October attack, the conduct of the war and the fate of the hostages have remained central issues in Israeli political debate.
The commemorations therefore come as Israelis remember those killed while the country continues to confront the political and social consequences of the attack and the war that followed.
Official state ceremonies were held on Monday, on a date chosen by the Israeli government according to the Hebrew calendar.
