Two Years On: Israel Reflects on October 7 as Gaza War Talks Seek Fragile End

Two Years On: Israel Reflects on October 7 as Gaza War Talks Seek Fragile End

Two years after the devastating October 7, 2023, attack, Israel paused on Tuesday to remember its dead, even as quiet negotiations continued in Egypt over how to finally end the war that began that day.

At sunrise, families and survivors gathered in southern Israel, at the site of the Nova music festival, once a place of joy, now a memorial field of grief. More than 370 young people were killed there when Hamas-led militants stormed through the desert, marking the deadliest single day in Israel’s history. Across the country, candles were lit, photos held aloft, and the same refrain echoed: “We remember, and we endure.”

“It was a very difficult and enormous incident that happened here,” said Elad Gancz, a teacher visiting the Nova site. “But we want to live, and despite everything, continue with our lives.”

A Nation Remembering and Divided

The official count from that day remains staggering: 1,219 Israelis killed, most of them civilians. Another 251 people were abducted and taken into Gaza. Today, 47 of those hostages are still unaccounted for, 25 confirmed dead, according to the Israeli military.

In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, families once again gathered to demand action. Weekly rallies there have become a fixture of Israeli life, equal parts vigil, protest, and plea.

But beneath the remembrance lies frustration. According to a recent survey by the Institute for National Security Studies, 72% of Israelis say they are unhappy with how the government has managed the war. For many, the anniversary is not just about loss, but about accountability.

The Gaza Toll: “We Have Lost Everything”

Across the border, the devastation in Gaza tells another side of the story.
The Hamas-run health ministry says at least 67,160 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, figures the UN considers credible. More than half of those deaths are women and children. Entire neighborhoods have been flattened; hospitals, schools, and water systems lie in ruins.

“We have lost everything in this war, our homes, family members, friends, neighbors,” said Hanan Mohammed, 36, who now lives in a makeshift camp after fleeing Jabalia. “I can’t wait for this bloodshed to stop.”

Peace on Paper, Not Yet in Practice

Even as Israel held its memorials, indirect peace talks began Monday in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh resort. Mediators are working between Israeli and Hamas delegations, trying to secure a framework for ceasefire and hostage exchanges under a new plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.

Trump’s 20-point peace proposal calls for an immediate ceasefire once Hamas releases all remaining hostages, the group’s gradual disarmament, and Israel’s phased withdrawal from Gaza. He described the ongoing discussions as “amazingly close” to a deal, urging negotiators to “move fast.”

However, history offers caution. Two previous ceasefires have collapsed despite similar optimism. Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir has already warned that if talks fail, “we will return to fighting.”

A War That Changed the Region

Over the past two years, Israel has expanded its military reach far beyond Gaza, striking targets in five regional capitals, including Tehran, and killing several senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. The war’s ripples have redrawn alliances and inflamed old tensions.

At the same time, global criticism has intensified. A recent UN inquiry accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, while human rights groups have condemned Hamas for war crimes during the October 7 assault. Both sides reject the allegations.

Memory, Mourning, and Uncertainty

Israel’s state-organized commemoration will take place later this month, on October 16. But for most Israelis, the real memorials are personal, photographs taped to trees, the names whispered in prayers, the empty seats at dinner tables.

Two years after that dark October morning, the war it unleashed still grinds on, its end uncertain. The dead are mourned, the living wait, and both sides, Israelis and Palestinians, carry wounds too deep for statistics to capture.

Whether the talks in Egypt bring a breakthrough or another false dawn remains to be seen. But for those who have buried loved ones, or lost their homes, the message is simple and shared: Let this be the last anniversary marked in war.

{Source: The Citizen}

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