The return of the hostages alive doesn't erase the pain for the civilians and soldiers who have fallen in the war
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Two years after the massacre of October 7, 2023, which occurred during the Simchat Torah holiday, Israel officially commemorates the victims of the terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas and those who fell in the "Iron Swords" war that followed.
Throughout the day, state and community ceremonies are held across the country, acts of mourning, and moments of national reflection.
The State of Israel remembers that dark day when Hamas terrorists crossed the borders, stormed dozens of communities in the south of the country, and brutally murdered more than a thousand men, women, and children, in addition to kidnapping hundreds of people to the Gaza Strip.
At 11:00 a.m., the official ceremony was held at Mount Herzl in memory of those who fell in the "Iron Swords" war and the victims of October 7.
The flags are lowered in the Knesset
Later, the main event for the victims of terrorism will take place, with the presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) lowered the national flags to half-mast. The President of Parliament, Amir Ohana, lit a candle in memory of the fallen and laid floral tributes at the national monument.
In the communities of the border area with Gaza—the hardest hit by the attack—emotional local events were held. In Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where 64 residents were murdered and 19 kidnapped, the ceremony began at 10:00.
In Sderot, the municipal event took place in the "Garden of Valor and Remembrance," with the participation of President Isaac Herzog. The Shaar HaNegev region organized an event under the motto "The night will shine like the day."
Since the beginning of the war, the number of Israeli victims has risen to 1,152 members of the security forces, including IDF soldiers, police officers, Shin Bet agents, and community defense brigade volunteers. Of these, 1,035 are soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, including 43 members of the rapid response units.
More than 40% of the fallen were young people under 21 years old. More than 6,500 family members joined the circle of national mourning: nearly 2,000 parents, 351 widows, 885 orphans, and more than 3,400 siblings.
In the last year, between October 2023 and October 2024, 262 additional Israelis lost their lives in the context of the conflict, and another 1,300 families joined the national mourning.
The second National Day in memory of October 7 seeks not only to honor those murdered and those who fell in combat, but also to reaffirm Israel's commitment to its security, its unity, and its right to life.
Two years after the bloodiest attack in the country's history, Israeli society continues to face the pain with determination. In every ceremony, in every story told, the same message is repeated: the Jewish people remember, and will continue to live.
"From the ruins, a stronger nation rises," President Herzog said at Mount Herzl. "To remember is not only to mourn the dead; it is to ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain. May Israel continue to be, today and always, the safe home of the Jewish people."
