Jerusalem, Oct. 7 -- Israel on Wednesday commemorated the third anniversary of Hamas' October 7 attack, which caused an unprecedented and unfathomable single-day loss in the country's history and united the nation at that time. However, three years later, Israeli society faces deep internal divisions, and many questions remain unanswered.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorists killed around 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 in Israel, which retaliated by launching a major military offensive in Gaza, in which more than 74,200 people have been killed. The attack challenged the Jewish state's long-standing image of a country that prides itself on its intelligence and technological superiority.
Hamas, which launched the multi-front attack -- by air, land and sea -- called October 7 an "extraordinary military achievement", in a statement on Wednesday, the Times of Israel reported.
As the war enters its fourth year, fatigue, financial instability, personal losses, acute manpower shortage and unresolved questions
about the war's goals have raised several internal issues in Israel, with sharp divisions emerging in the society.
On Wednesday, as Israelis gathered at commemorative ceremonies, protests were held against the government's handling of the attack.
Commemorative ceremonies began at 6:29 am, matching the time the attack began three years ago, with survivors and bereaved families coming together at Kibbutz Re'im, the site of the Nova music festival, where terrorists massacred 378 people and took 44 hostages to Gaza.
The ceremonies
not only honoured those lost but also carried strong political
overtones, with participants at several key locations expressing outrage at the government's failures and its resolute stand to stall an independent enquiry by constituting a state commission of inquiry.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.