Israel observes October 7 anniversary with national memorial day

Israel marks October 7 anniversary as national memorial day October 5, 2026Israelis observing a national memorial day on Monday for those killed in the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks and the soldiers who died in the Gaza war, Israeli media reported. Two state ceremonies are being held at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, where President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials are expected to attend, The Jerusalem Post reported. More memorial events, rallies and ceremonies are planned across the country with schools, municipalities and communities also holding events throughout the day. Flags at state institutions, police stations, prisons and military bases were lowered to half-mast, reports said. The memorial fell on October 5 this year due to the Hebrew calendar, which is lunisolar. October 7 terror attacks set of chain of events The Hamas terror attack on October 7 killed some 1,200 people in Israel, with the Palestinian militant also taking another 251 hostages into Gaza. It was the single deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust. The October 7, 2023, attacks had massive consequences not only for Israeli society but also for Palestinians in Gaza, where Hamas had maintained power since the territory last held elections in 2006. Following the Hamas attacks, the Israeli military began a war targeting Hamas in Gaza. The European Union, as well as the United States, Germany, and other countries, classify Hamas as a terrorist organization. Israel's war on Hamas left more than 73,650 Palestinians dead in Gaza , most of them civilians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher