Today, Israel marks the National Memorial Day for the Events of October 7 and those who fell during
By Sammy Tisser,
Today, Israel marks the National Memorial Day for the Events of October 7 and those who fell during the Swords of Iron War. The day began at 6:29 a.m., the time the October 7 attack began, with President Isaac Herzog lowering the Israeli flag to half-mast at the President's Residence.
Three years ago, BNN documented the events as they unfolded. On October 7, 2023, at 1:07 p.m., we changed BNN's alert status from blue to black. Later, we reported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement: "Citizens of Israel, we are at war."
By then, Sderot and communities near Gaza were under attack, armed groups had crossed into Israel by land, air and sea, and the first reports of people being kidnapped and taken into Gaza were beginning to emerge.
As the day continued, the scale of the attack became clearer. The IDF confirmed that hostages had been taken into Gaza and said its forces were fighting in 22 locations. Hostage situations were reported in Be'eri and Ofakim as Israeli forces fought to regain control of communities in southern Israel. By late that night, families searching for missing relatives were being asked to provide photographs and items from which DNA could be extracted.
About 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attack and 251 people were abducted into Gaza. Of those hostages, 166 ultimately returned alive, while the remains of 85 were returned to Israel. The final 20 living hostages were released in October 2025. On January 26, 2026, Israeli forces recovered the remains of Ran Gvili, the final October 7 hostage remaining in Gaza. No hostages abducted on October 7 remain there today.
Today, we remember the civilians murdered in their homes and communities, on Israel's roads and at the Nova music festival. We remember the soldiers, police officers and first responders who fell while defending others, the hostages who did not return alive, and all those who continue to carry the physical and emotional scars of October 7 and the war that followed.
Three years later, we remember their names, their lives and the families forever changed by that day.
May their memories be a blessing.
We will never forget October 7.
Topics: Gaza, IDF, Israeli Politics
Reported by Sammy Tisser for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.