Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday pledged that Hamas would never again govern Gaza, as Israel observed a national day of remembrance marking three years since the militant group's devastating October 7, 2023 attack.
Speaking at a state ceremony at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel had secured "enormous accomplishments" in the years since the attack, but added that "there are still missions ahead of us, and we intend to complete them." He vowed to continue targeting anyone involved in the 2023 assault or in holding hostages.
A day of grief and anger
Flags on public buildings were lowered to half-mast from 6.29am, the exact time the attack began three years ago. In a second speech later in the day, Netanyahu told grieving families that the nation shared their pain, declaring, "There is no forgiveness for the murderers, the torturers, the arsonists."
His address was briefly interrupted when a heckler shouted: "You didn't protect my son and 1,200 others killed on Oct 7 — shame!" The prime minister paused before continuing.
The Hamas-led attack killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, and militants dragged 251 hostages into Gaza, 44 of whom were already dead at the time. Israel's subsequent military offensive has killed more than 74,200 people in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry, which is run by Hamas but whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations. More than 1,440 of those deaths have occurred since a ceasefire took effect last October.
Wider warnings
Netanyahu also used the occasion to warn Israel's other adversaries, vowing to keep striking Hezbollah in Lebanon and declaring that Israel would not allow "the ayatollah regime in Tehran to threaten our existence." Since the 2023 attack, Israel has fought wars on several fronts, and an Israeli and United States joint strike on Iran on February 28 ignited the wider Middle East war.
Plans for Gaza's post-war governance have begun to take shape, but the question remains largely unresolved in practice.
Sources:
- At Oct 7 memorial, Netanyahu says will be no Hamas rule in Gaza
Speaking at a state ceremony at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel had secured "enormous accomplishments" in the years since the attack, but added that "there are still missions ahead of us, and we intend to complete them." He vowed to continue targeting anyone involved in the 2023 assault or in holding hostages.
A day of grief and anger
Flags on public buildings were lowered to half-mast from 6.29am, the exact time the attack began three years ago. In a second speech later in the day, Netanyahu told grieving families that the nation shared their pain, declaring, "There is no forgiveness for the murderers, the torturers, the arsonists."
His address was briefly interrupted when a heckler shouted: "You didn't protect my son and 1,200 others killed on Oct 7 — shame!" The prime minister paused before continuing.
The Hamas-led attack killed 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, and militants dragged 251 hostages into Gaza, 44 of whom were already dead at the time. Israel's subsequent military offensive has killed more than 74,200 people in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry, which is run by Hamas but whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations. More than 1,440 of those deaths have occurred since a ceasefire took effect last October.
Wider warnings
Netanyahu also used the occasion to warn Israel's other adversaries, vowing to keep striking Hezbollah in Lebanon and declaring that Israel would not allow "the ayatollah regime in Tehran to threaten our existence." Since the 2023 attack, Israel has fought wars on several fronts, and an Israeli and United States joint strike on Iran on February 28 ignited the wider Middle East war.
Plans for Gaza's post-war governance have begun to take shape, but the question remains largely unresolved in practice.
Sources:
- At Oct 7 memorial, Netanyahu says will be no Hamas rule in Gaza
