Israel marks the third anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Wednesday, just weeks before an election in which the deadliest day in the country’s history will be front and centre.
Palestinian fighters breached the border, storming southern Israel with gunfire, rockets and grenades, and resulting in the deaths of 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. State memorial ceremonies were held on Monday, during which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no Hamas rule in Gaza and vowed to continue targeting anyone who was involved in the October 7 attack or who held hostages. In response to Hamas’s unprecedented assault, Israel launched a massive military offensive that has left most of Gaza in ruins and killed more than 74,200 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which is under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations. Since the ceasefire, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,430 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Israel’s defence minister said Tuesday he had put the military on high alert “in light of intelligence regarding Hamas’s intentions to attempt to carry out attacks” against troops in Gaza on the anniversary.
