Key Points
- Thousands gathered for vigils and memorials worldwide to mark the anniversary of Hamas’s 7 October attack.
- The 7 October attack resulted in about 1,200 deaths in Israel, with about 250 hostages taken by Hamas.
- Vigils have taken place in cities including Tel Aviv, Sydney, London, Paris, and Berlin.
Thousands of people gathered over the weekend for the first emotional commemorations marking the anniversary of Palestinian militant group 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 Monday.
In Tel Aviv, friends and relatives of the 370 people killed in the massacre at the Nova dance festival held a candlelight vigil Sunday evening 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 the hostages still held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
Photos of those killed on October 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,” Henry Grunwald, chair of the organising committee, told Agence France-Presse.
A communal memorial event to commemorate the October 7 attacks was held at Hyde Park in London. Source: Getty / Ben Montgomery
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.
The build-up to the anniversary has been marked by soaring tension, with fears the ongoing conflict could spiral into a wider war.
The October 7 attack resulted in the death of about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to Israeli figures, which includes hostages killed in captivity.
Israel’s following military offensive has so far 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 United Nations.
More memorials are planned for Monday, including an expected outpouring of emotion in Israel itself.
Besides the official ceremony in Jerusalem, 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.
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 which has killed more than 41,000 according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
