Jerusalem, October 8(HS): Israelis gathered across the country on Tuesday to commemorate two years since the deadly Hamas-led assault of October 7, 2023, as indirect negotiations over a US-brokered Gaza peace plan continued in Egypt.The attack killed over 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage to Gaza — the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
At the Nova music festival site in Re’im, where 378 were killed, families cleaned memorials and paid tribute. Across Israel, a minute’s silence was observed, while an unofficial memorial organised by victims’ relatives was held in Tel Aviv. The government’s official commemoration is scheduled for October 16, after the Jewish High Holidays.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Israel’s “miraculous resilience” despite “immense pain” and vowed to retrieve all hostages, dismantle Hamas’s rule in Gaza, and prevent the enclave from posing a future threat.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the anniversary “a dark day seared in memory” and urged both sides to embrace President Donald Trump’s peace proposal, branding it a “historic opportunity” to end the conflict.In Sharm el-Sheikh, Israeli and Hamas delegations engaged in a second day of mediated talks.
A senior Palestinian official said progress remained elusive due to disputes over Israeli troop withdrawal maps and Hamas’s demand for guarantees against renewed fighting. Negotiations focus on a five-point framework: a permanent ceasefire, prisoner-hostage exchanges, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, humanitarian aid arrangements, and post-war governance. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due to join the talks on Wednesday.
Opinion polls indicate that about 70% of Israelis favour ending the war in exchange for hostage releases. Israel believes 48 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of them alive.Meanwhile, heavy Israeli bombardments continued in Gaza City’s Tal al-Hawa, Rimal, Nasr, Sheikh Radwan, and Shati refugee camp, as well as Khan Younis in the south. Gaza’s health ministry reported at least eight new deaths on Tuesday.
UNICEF warned of “dire medical conditions” in southern hospitals, with premature infants sharing oxygen supplies and crowded wards. Twenty-five of Gaza’s 38 hospitals are out of service, and the rest operate only partially.The Israeli military said a rocket launched from northern Gaza landed near Netiv HaAsara without causing casualties.
With journalists barred from independently entering Gaza, independent verification of battlefield claims remains difficult.The anniversary unfolded under the shadow of continuing war, deep public grief, and cautious diplomacy, as both sides weigh whether this moment offers the last real window to halt the cycle of bloodshed.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
