Israel to mark third anniversary of October 7 attack ahead of election

Tel Aviv, Israel. Israelis will on Wednesday mark three years since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, which triggered an Israeli military assault that destroyed much of Gaza. Conditions in Gaza remain dire despite a year-old ceasefire intended to end the war permanently.

Commemorations and hostages

Militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza during the attacks, marking the deadliest day in Israel’s history. Israel’s subsequent bombardment and ground operations have killed more than 74,000 people in Gaza, according to health authorities there.

A vigil will be held on Wednesday at the site of the Nova music festival near the Gaza border, where militants killed 348 young people during the attack. Another anniversary commemoration will take place at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv.

This is the first anniversary with no hostages still held in Gaza. Living hostages and the remains of dead hostages were exchanged in swaps with Hamas for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. The remains of the last Israeli hostage were recovered in January.

Election approaches

The anniversary falls 20 days before Israel’s first election since the attack. The vote is viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long tenure in power.

Netanyahu has rejected blame for the security breach and resisted calls for an independent investigation. His stance has frustrated many Israelis, including families of people killed in the attacks, some of whom have entered the election race.

An Israel Democracy Institute poll found that 68% of Jewish Israelis considered the events of October 7 a very central or fairly central factor in deciding which party to support.

Election polls indicate that neither Netanyahu nor his main competitors would secure enough parliamentary seats to form a coalition if the vote were held today.

Ceasefire has not ended attacks

The anniversary is also the first since the US-brokered ceasefire agreement of October 10, 2025. The deal halted major fighting but has not stopped Israeli attacks in Gaza or secured the disarmament of Hamas and other militant groups.