Israel marks the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Tuesday, as Hamas and Israeli negotiators discuss a peace deal to end the war in Gaza.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a massive surprise attack during the Jewish festival of Sukkot, making it one of the deadliest attacks in history.
The attacks killed more than 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures.
Hamas abducted 251 hostages into Gaza, of whom 47 remain in captivity, including 25 presumed dead by the Israeli military.
Memorial events were expected to take place in Israel on Tuesday to mark the anniversary. According to international experts, the conflict had been brewing for months before it escalated on October 7.
Some Western experts have expressed scepticism that the Israeli Mossad was unaware of the attack beforehand, while others suggest markers indicate that Israeli compromised assets may have been involved.
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Scepticism has grown over the past two years due to the Israeli government's delayed response to peace talks and efforts to retrieve captives.
Families and friends of those killed at the Nova music festival were expected to gather at the site of the attack, where Hamas gunmen killed more than 370 people and seized dozens of hostages.
Since October 8, Israeli armed forces have launched a major military campaign in Gaza, extending operations to Syria, Yemen, Iran, Lebanon, and Qatar.
While the United Nations inquiry committee has described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide”, Israel has rejected such claims.
More than 68,000 people have died as a result of the conflict, over 90 per cent of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed, nearly 2 million people have been displaced, and thousands more face starvation.
According to the UN, the ongoing war in Gaza has devastated lives and destroyed basic life-supporting necessities.
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