Israel commemorates this Monday, October 7, the attack carried out by Hamas on its soil just one year earlier. Several ceremonies under high security are planned.
A day not to forget. This Monday, October 7, Israel commemorates the unprecedented attack carried out by Hamas on its soil a year earlier, which left 1,205 dead, mostly civilians, according to a count by Agence France Presse, then triggering a war on Gaza. Several ceremonies are planned in a tense context, while the Israeli army has said it is in a state of alert for fear of attacks.
• Collection on the Nova festival site
The commemorations will begin this Monday morning with a moment of contemplation planned in Kibbutz Reim, site of the Nova music festival, where at least 370 people were killed.
The event, which will take place in the presence of the victims’ families, will begin early. From 6:29 a.m. sharp, the music playing on October 7, 2023 will be broadcast. It will then be abruptly interrupted and an alarm will sound to symbolize the moment of the attack. A minute of silence will then be observed.
Another gathering is also planned in a nearby kibbutz, Berri, where more than 100 people were killed on October 7, 2023.
• A ceremony with the Israeli president
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is also due to chair an official ceremony. Organized by the Hebrew government in the presence of politicians and without an audience, it will be pre-recorded and broadcast Monday evening. Minister Miri Regev announced that she would choose the city of Ofaqim, whose mayor is a member of the Likud party, as the venue for the ceremony.
The event is, however, shunned by the families of victims and hostages. At the end of August, when the ceremony was announced, several dozen ex-hostages or relatives of the victims of the Hamas attack in Israel expressed their dissatisfaction.
In a letter sent to Minister Miri Regev, responsible for organizing this ceremony, and which Agence France Presse was able to obtain, they requested the cancellation of the ceremony and said they refused “any use of photos of ( their) relatives, dead or alive, details concerning them or the mention of their names”. Several artists have also announced their refusal to participate in the ceremony.
• A ceremony organized by families in Tel Aviv
Families will hold their own commemorations in the evening from 7 p.m. This unofficial ceremony will be held in Hayarkon Park, located in north Tel Aviv.
This time artists will be present. Several speeches are planned and a minute of silence should be respected.
Only relatives of the victims and hostages are invited to this event and a gauge will be imposed, to facilitate the security of the event.
In France, Emmanuel Macron will receive families of hostages and victims of the Hamas attack in Israel on Monday in Paris.
Juliette Desmonceaux with AFP
