Three years on, Israeli families gather to mourn the Oct. 7 attacks, all while scores of Palestinians struggle to survive the endless genocide
No respite in sight.
Three years after the October 7 attacks, the landscape of the region remains defined by grief, conflict, and a widening chasm of human suffering. According to the Associated Press, in Reim, Israel, families gathered on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, to remember those lost at the Nova Music Festival. It was here that militants gunned down revelers three years ago. The atmosphere was heavy with collective trauma as Israeli families embraced and wept.
They marked the anniversary at bomb shelters, intersections, and various communities targeted during the 2023 attack. Tens of thousands also converged in Tel Aviv for a separate ceremony organized by bereaved families. This anniversary feels distinct because it is the first since all hostages were returned. While signs calling for their release have largely vanished, the reminders of the dead remain everywhere.
The scale of the original attack was unprecedented. Militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage that day. For survivors, the pain of the past remains a constant presence. Anya Davitashili lost her 25-year-old son, Sean. She visits the festival site every Saturday to feel close to him. She said, “I have a video of him dancing here that ends at 6:29 in the morning. It’s in front of my eyes all the time.” She added, “Every morning, you wake up and there is just endless missing.”
The morning ceremony on Wednesday began at 6:29 a.m.
This was the exact time the first rockets launched three years ago. Families hugged as nearby explosions in Gaza boomed in the distance. Elkana Bohbot, a survivor who spent 738 days in captivity, marked the anniversary for the first time since his release. He spent most of that time in a dark, damp tunnel.
Bohbot described being held in a small cell with little food and limited access to bathing. His captors forced him to participate in propaganda videos, including a fake call to his family. Since his release, he has focused on physical and emotional recovery. He and his wife welcomed a daughter in August.
Regarding his newborn, he said, “not a symbol for my people, she is more of a symbol for the enemy.” He further stated, “This child is the message for you that we were here and we will always be here forever.”
While Israeli families find space to mourn and recover, the experience for Palestinians is vastly different
There were no events planned in Gaza. Residents instead focus on basic survival amidst the ruins of a war that has lasted three years. Most of the population lives in squalid tent camps. Large parts of cities have been reduced to rubble. More than half of the territory remains under the control of the Israeli military. The genocide has caused suffering that many residents describe as previously unimaginable.
Walid Akram, a displaced resident of Gaza City, noted the intensity of the violence. He said, “We witnessed death, destruction, and bombardment that we had never known before.” Raed Khozeiq, whose coastal neighborhood was flattened, expressed a similar sentiment. He stated, “No country in the world has gone through what we have experienced here.” He described the situation as “A war of extermination, starvation, the absence of schools and universities – nothing remains.”
The scale of the loss in Gaza is staggering. According to the territory’s Health Ministry, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed. While the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants, it notes that about half of the victims were women and children.
These figures are generally accepted by U.N. agencies and independent experts. Even after a ceasefire took effect on October 10, 2025, the violence did not stop. Israeli strikes continue to target what the military identifies as Hamas militants. Since that ceasefire, 1,460 more Palestinians have been killed. Five Israeli soldiers have also died during this period.
The global impact of these events continues to grow
The wars have expanded into Lebanon, where Israeli troops occupy significant territory in their conflict with Hezbollah. The United States has participated in attacks against Iran’s military and nuclear programs, which has upended global markets. In a statement released on the third anniversary, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani addressed the ongoing crisis.
He said, “The suffering did not begin nor end that day.” The NYC Mayor highlighted the death toll in Gaza, noting that more than 21,000 children are among the 74,000 Palestinians killed. He argued that the suffering has intensified through drone strikes and the denial of food aid at borders.
Mamdani concluded, “Three years later, we must refuse to accept a world in which occupation and apartheid continue, where war crimes are met with impunity, and our federal government continues its complicity with every arms shipment.”
Inside Israel, the anniversary is further complicated by political tension
A contentious election is scheduled for the end of the month. Voters remain divided over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and his refusal to launch an official inquiry into security failures.
Meanwhile, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, violence continues to rise. The government has increased restrictions on Palestinians while extremist settlers attack residents and destroy property. The path toward peace remains unclear as both sides continue to grapple with the consequences of a conflict that has reshaped the entire region.
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