Commemorations begin worldwide for anniversary of Oct 7 Hamas attack on Israel

Thousands of people gathered at the weekend for the first emotional commemorations marking the anniversary of Palestinian militant group Hamas’

Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The first candlelight vigils, memorials and marches to mark the anniversary were held in cities ranging from Tel Aviv to London, Paris and Berlin, with more set to be held around the world on Oct 7.

In Tel Aviv, friends and relatives of the 370 people killed in

the massacre at the Nova dance festival

held a candlelight vigil on the evening of Oct 6 at a concert hall.

Against a backdrop of neon lights and music, they lit candles for their loved ones and embraced.

In London, thousands gathered in Hyde Park, waving Israeli flags and “bring them home” placards with faces of hostages still held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

Photos of those killed on Oct 7 were shown on a big screen as attendees lit candles in their honour.

“We want to remember the people who have been brutally murdered, and we want the world to remember,” Mr Henry Grunwald, chair of the organising committee, told AFP.

Ms Mandy Damari, whose daughter Emily was one of the 251 people taken hostage by Hamas, said her daughter was “full of life”.

“I need to hug her again and I need to see her smile,” she said, on the verge of tears.

UN criticised

In Berlin, around 650 people attended a commemoration on Oct 5. Police said they had detained 26 people who shouted insults at participants.

In Paris, thousands of people gathered on Oct 6 to remember the victims of the attack.

“We’re here in support of Israel, the Israeli people, in memory of those who were killed and for those who were kidnapped” that day, Mr Robert Zbili, president of the National Jewish Fund, told AFP.

In Geneva, 300 people gathered on the evening of Oct 6 in front of the UN offices there for a tribute.

But in a video message and a post on social media platform X, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Daniel Meron denounced the organisation for having failed to “pass a resolution holding Hamas and its supporters responsible”.

The build-up to the anniversary has been marked by soaring tensions, with fears that the ongoing conflict could spiral into a wider war.

The Oct 7 attack resulted in the death of 1,205 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, which includes hostages killed in captivity.

Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 41,870 people in the Gaza Strip, most of them civilians, according to figures provided by the territory’s Health Ministry and described as reliable by the UN.

Daybreak memorial

In a statement late on Oct 6, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “One year on from these horrific attacks, we must unequivocally stand with the Jewish community and unite as a country.

“We must never look the other way in the face of hate.”

He also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, and for a free flow of aid into Gaza.

“We must also not look the other way as civilians bear the ongoing dire consequences of this conflict in the Middle East.”

More memorials are planned for Oct 7, including an expected outpouring of emotion in Israel itself.

Besides the official ceremony in Jerusalem, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will lead a memorial at daybreak in Sderot, the closest Israeli city to Gaza, to mark the moment it came under attack 12 months ago.

More than 50 people were killed in Sderot, either by Hamas gunmen or by the barrage of Hamas rockets.

There will also be a rally at Kibbutz Be’eri, where more 120 people were killed in the assault, calling for the return of the remaining hostages.

In Tel Aviv, relatives of hostages and their supporters will hold a rally calling for a ceasefire.

In the United States, where the events of Oct 7 have been swept up in the divisive campaigning for November’s elections, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump is due to mark the anniversary at a “Remembrance Event” in Miami organised by Jewish community leaders.

There will also be a vigil outside the White House for the Israeli hostages.

Many cities have also seen pro-Palestinian protests marking the anniversary, with calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and condemnation of Israel’s military campaign. AFP