1 of 5 | Israelis embrace in the memorial at Re’im, Israel on Saturday, marking the one-year attack of Hamas militants. Photo by Jim Hollander/UPI | License Photo
Thousands of Israelis are marking the one-year anniversary of last year’s deadly attack by the militant group Hamas near the border with Gaza that saw around 1,200 people killed and over 200 taken hostage.
People congregated around memorials Saturday in Re’im in southern Israel near where the attack took place at the outdoor Nova music festival on Oct. 7. Advertisement
Amid temperatures in the high 70s and with dust blowing continually, people on Saturday erected photos of loved ones killed or captured during the attack in Re’im. Friends and family members embraced while also continuing to call for a return of any remaining hostages.
The attack and kidnappings by Hamas led to the ongoing yearlong war between Israel and the militant group in Gaza. Some 41,000 people have so far been killed in the Palestinian enclave since the conflict began days after the attack, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Officials believe Hamas is still holding around 95 people hostage in Gaza. That number includes the bodies of at least 33 people who already are confirmed dead by the Israel Defense Forces. Advertisement
Cries from the public to rescue the remaining hostages have increased over the last year, putting pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to find a solution.
Meanwhile, fighting continues in Gaza and southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, as Israelis brace for an attack on Iran after their second barrage of missile a few days ago.
U.S. President Joe Biden has said he opposes a possible Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites urging Israel to take a more tempered response following Iran’s missile attack.
