Israel marks October 7 anniversary as memorials collide with protests

Israel marked the third anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack with memorials and protests. The day highlighted unresolved anger over the war, hostages and government accountability.Image used for representational purposes onlyJerusalem,Oct 7, 2026 19:13 ISTIsrael on Wednesday marked the third anniversary of Hamas' October 7 attack, a day that left around 1,200 people dead and 251 kidnapped in what was described as the country's worst single-day loss. Three years on, as the war enters its fourth year, commemorations across Israel were accompanied by protests, with many people saying major questions about the attack and the war remain unanswered.The Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, shattered Israel's long-held image of intelligence and technological superiority. Israel responded with a major military offensive in Gaza, in which more than 74,200 people have been killed. Hamas, which carried out the attack by air, land and sea, called October 7 an "extraordinary military achievement" in a statement on Wednesday, according to The Times of Israel.Commemorative events began at 6:29 am, the exact time the attack started three years ago. Survivors and bereaved families gathered at Kibbutz Re'im, the site of the Nova music festival, where 378 people were killed and 44 hostages were taken to Gaza. Official state ceremonies had taken place on Monday, the Hebrew memorial date set by the government, while the main ceremony organised by survivors and bereaved families was being held at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv.Alongside the memorials, protests were held against the government's handling of the attack and its refusal to set up an independent state commission of inquiry. At a gathering near the Knesset, Gal Goren, whose parents Avner and Maya were killed on October 7 and whose bodies were taken to Gaza, addressed demonstrators and asked: "What do you say about three years of guilt, shame and regret?" In central Tel Aviv, the fountain at Dizengoff Square was painted red on Wednesday morning. Outside the Knesset, protesters displayed burned-out cars that had belonged to victims of the Nova festival massacre. Demonstrations were also held outside the homes of senior politicians, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Caesarea, his official residence in Jerusalem, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana's home in Tel Aviv, Justice Minister Yariv Levin's home in Modi'in and Education Minister Yoav Kisch's home in Hod Hasharon.Activists from the Young Democrats, a social democratic and Zionist political party, reached Netanyahu's residence at 6:29 am, with supporters saying they wanted "to make sure that this time, three years after the terrible massacre, Netanyahu wakes up". The slogan referred to recent allegations that the prime minister had reacted late to information passed to him on the morning of the attack. Memorials and demonstrations were scheduled through the day, including a nationwide minute of remembrance at noon organised by the October Council and civil society groups, with hospitals, universities, schools, local authorities, businesses and other organisations taking part. As the war has continued, analysts and members of the public have repeatedly asked why Hamas has still not been disarmed, what its future in Gaza will be and who will govern the territory. At the same time, internal strains in Israel have deepened because of war fatigue, financial instability, personal losses, an acute manpower shortage and unresolved questions over the war's goals.Another major debate has centred on what is described in Israel as "burden sharing". Those serving in the army and contributing to the economy have questioned what they call the diversion of resources to appease the ultra-Orthodox, whom critics accuse of avoiding the draft while using their numbers to influence the government. With general elections due on October 27, the issue has become the opposition's main campaign plank, and leaders in the anti-Netanyahu bloc have promised to end this privilege if they come to power.The government has called for patience and said change will take time, but public anger remains strong. For Netanyahu, the ultra-Orthodox bloc has been a dependable political ally for decades, and taking a hard line against it or pushing it aside would be difficult. In a sharply divided political landscape centred on him, and with the election seen as a referendum on his rule, their support is seen as crucial to his political survival.Internal divisions have also been sharpened by protests among draft-reluctant ultra-Orthodox groups and by attacks by right-wing Jewish settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank, developments that have also drawn international criticism. Even before October 7, Israel had seen almost a year of protests against the government's judicial overhaul plan, which critics said would weaken the independence of the courts.As Israelis marked the anniversary of October 7, the country reflected both on the scale of the attack and on the unresolved disputes it has left behind. The commemorations honoured the dead and the hostages, while the protests underlined continuing anger over the government's actions, the conduct of the war and the wider direction of Israeli politics, as Netanyahu's main challenger Gadi Eisenkot gains support with a promise to heal, protect and revive the country.With PTI Inputs- Ends