On Monday, Israelis commemorated the one-year anniversary of the catastrophic Hamas attack that started a war that has provoked protests around the world and runs the risk of starting a much larger battle in the Middle East.

Ceremonies and protests in Jerusalem and Israel’s south began around 06:29 a.m. (0329 GMT), the hour when Hamas-led militants launched rockets into Israel at the start of the Oct. 7 attack last year.

They killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages to Gaza, according to Israeli figures.

Outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home in Jerusalem, around 300 people led by families of hostages holding up photos of their loved ones, observed a minute of silence for the dead as a siren sounded.

“We’re still stuck in October 7th, 2023, in one unending day of terror, of fear, of anger, of despair,” said Yuval Baron, whose father-in-law Keith Siegel is hostage in Gaza.

“We wanted to start this day together to remind ourselves, our prime minister, the public of Israel that even though it is a day of grief there is still a holy mission to bring back the hostages,” said Baron.

In Reim, the site of the music festival where more than 360 people were killed and dozens taken hostage, President Isaac Herzog presided over the memorial ceremony which began with the last track that was played at the party a year ago.

“We will remember always who kidnapped, who murdered, who raped, who slaughtered. At the same time, we have also seen extraordinary fortitude. We have a wonderful people and on this day we strengthen it and call for unity,” said Herzog.

Source: Reuters