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THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE have converged on southern Israel to mourn the dead as the nation marked two years since the 7 October Hamas attack, while Israeli and Hamas officials continue to hold indirect talks in Egypt.
The main memorial is being organised by the bereaved families, separate from a ceremony the government will hold on the anniversary next week according to the Hebrew calendar.
The split reflects deep divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, which many blame for the failure to secure a ceasefire that would free the remaining hostages held by the militants.
In Gaza, where Israel’s retaliatory assaults have killed tens of thousands of people and razed entire towns and cities, those who can are fleeing another Israeli invasion of Gaza City while others are sheltering in place.
Many are unable to make the arduous and costly journey south. The genocide, labelled as such by a UN commission, numerous aid organisations and world governments (including Ireland), has resulted in 67,160 Palestinians being killed by Israel in Gaza.
It has been two years since thousands of Hamas-led militants poured into southern Israel after a surprise barrage of rockets.
They stormed army bases, farming communities and an outdoor music festival, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, including women, children and older adults.
They abducted 251 others, most of whom have since been released in ceasefires or other deals.
Forty-eight hostages remain inside Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive.
Hamas has said it will release them only in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until all of the captives are returned and Hamas has been disarmed.
Here, politicians have paid tribute to the victims of the 7 October attack.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the 7 October assault as “heinous terror attacks” by Hamas, and called for the remaining hostages to be released.
He added that the “appalling slaughter and famine in Gaza needs to end.”
Tánaiste Simon Harris similarly paid tribute to the victims of the 7 October attack. In a statement, Harris said: ” I think of those indiscriminately and brutally killed on that terrible day, the many more hurt and injured, and of the hostages still being held captive in Gaza by Hamas and other terrorist groups.”
Calling for the release of the hostages, Harris said that he aware of “the enduring trauma that was inflicted on Israeli society”, as well as on Jewish and Israeli communities here in Ireland.
“The cycle of violence that has beset Israelis and Palestinians for too long has continued over these terrible years,” he added.
The 7 October attack set in motion a cascade of events that led Israel into combat with Iran and its allies across the region, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which suffered major losses.
The United States joined Israel in attacking Iran’s military and nuclear programme in a 12-day war in June.
Israel has killed several top militants as well as Iranian generals and nuclear scientists, and it has vastly depleted the military capabilities of its enemies while seizing control over most of Gaza as well as parts of Lebanon and Syria.
But the failure to return the hostages has left the country deeply divided, with weekly mass protests against Netanyahu. Israel is more isolated internationally than it has been in decades.
Nearly 400 Israelis were killed and dozens abducted from the Nova music festival in the border community of Reim. Over the last two years, it has emerged as a memorial site, with portraits of the kidnapped and fallen affixed to Israeli flags.
There is no official ceremony at the Nova site, due to the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which coincides with the anniversary.
Yet, scores of people descended on the site to share memories of relatives and friends who were killed, weaving through hundreds of photos encircling the spot where a DJ booth stood.
At 6.29am, the exact time the attack began, the music — the same track that revellers were listening to at the time — stopped for a moment of silence.
Meanwhile, explosions echoed from Gaza. The army said a rocket was launched from northern Gaza in the morning, but no damage or injuries were reported.
The main memorial ceremony will be held in Tel Aviv and will include musical performances and speeches.
It is being organised by Yonatan Shamriz, whose brother, Alon, was among three hostages mistakenly killed by Israeli forces after they escaped captivity early in the war.
Israel and Hamas held indirect talks on today in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss a new peace plan put forward by US President Donald Trump. The talks were to continue tomorrow.
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