Three years on, Israelis remember October 7 attack that claimed 1,200 lives

Three years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, Israelis gathered at memorial sites and locations across the south on Wednesday to remember those killed and taken captive.

The assault left approximately 1,200 people dead and 251 others in captivity, according to Israeli authorities. This year's commemoration is the first since all hostages, whether living or deceased, were returned from Gaza.

At 6:29 AM, the precise moment when the first rockets struck three years earlier, relatives came together at locations including the Nova music festival grounds near Reim, where over 350 people died. Families embraced and honoured those they had lost.

Elkana Bohbot, 37, marked his first October 7 anniversary back in Israel following his release after 738 days held by Hamas. Taken from the Nova festival, Bohbot spent much of his time in captivity underground, without adequate food and forced to appear in Hamas propaganda materials.

The Israel Defense Forces recently provided journalists access to a 1.5-mile tunnel system near Kibbutz Nahal Oz that Hamas operated during the assault and used to detain hostages. The complex featured electricity, running water, air conditioning and quarters designed to shelter militants for extended periods.

Nahal Oz itself suffered severe casualties: more than 60 soldiers and 15 civilians were killed, with 18 people taken hostage. The nearby kibbutz of Kfar Aza lost 64 residents, including children. Its population has since fallen to roughly 200, down from approximately 1,000 before the attack.

Twins Gali and Ziv Berman, abducted from Kfar Aza at age 26, spent two years in captivity before their release in October 2025. They endured beatings, food deprivation and prolonged confinement in tunnels. Now 29, the brothers have resumed attending soccer matches and travelling, though they acknowledge lasting psychological effects. Gali Berman told The New York Times: "But we are alive. We take nothing for granted."

For many who survived, moving forward has itself become a form of resistance. Bohbot and his wife recently had a daughter, while the Berman brothers continue working to reclaim the everyday existence the attack took from them.