Thousands of people gathered in southern Israel on Tuesday to mourn the dead as the nation marked two years since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack plunged the region into a devastating war, while Israel and Hamas hold indirect talks in Egypt.
The main memorial is being organized by the bereaved families, separate from a ceremony the government will hold on the anniversary next week, according to the Hebrew calendar. The split reflects deep divisions over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, which many blame for the failure to secure a ceasefire that would free the remaining hostages held by the militants.
Families and friends of the Oct. 7 victims visited the site of the Nova music festival, where 400 revelers were killed and dozens taken hostage by Hamas. They weaved through memorials and shared stories about the victims in hushed tones.
People embraced a woman wailing for her loss. Another woman spoke of losing her two daughters at the festival and with them, her identify as a mother.
Alon Muskinov, 28, who was at the festival and lost three of his closest friends, said this anniversary isn’t particularly special because “we are reliving this every day anew, every day we remember them.”
Yehuda Rahmani says he finds comfort in visiting the last place where his daughter was alive. His daughter Sharon, a police officer, was on a security detail during the music festival. Rahmadi hopes to run into a survivor who could shed more light on Sharon’s last moments.
“When you don’t know what happened, it makes it so much harder,” he said, adding that he’s angry the government has yet to launch an official inquiry into that day’s security failures.
Trump will meet with an American hostage freed from Gaza
The president is scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon at the White House with Edan Alexander, who was taken hostage by Hamas in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that led to the Israel-Hamas war.
Trump met in July with Alexander, who was the last living American hostage in Gaza and released from captivity in May.
The meeting, which is scheduled to occur behind closed doors, comes as indirect peace talks are being held in Egypt over Trump’s plan to end the fighting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.