Israel marks third anniversary of 7 October Hamas-led attack

Israel held memorial events on Wednesday to mark three years since the Hamas-led assault that triggered the war in Gaza. Families gathered at several of the sites where around 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage during the attack.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the nation was united in grief and longing for those lost, while facing protests from people calling for an independent inquiry into the security failures that allowed the attack to happen.

Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 74,200 people, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, which the UN regards as reliable.

Despite a ceasefire reached almost a year ago, violence has continued in Gaza, where conditions remain severe for the territory's 2.1 million residents.

On Wednesday morning, survivors and bereaved relatives gathered at a memorial site for the 378 people killed at the Nova music festival in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, the day the attack began.