By Al-Fassel | 2024-10-07

Israel on October 7 marked the first anniversary of Hamas's deadly terrorist attack, which sparked a devastating war in Gaza that expanded into Lebanon and now threatens to drag the region into an all-out war.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog kicked off global commemorations with memorials to honor the victims and the hostages still in captivity in Gaza, with vigils and marches held in cities including London, Paris and Berlin.

Tens of thousands of protesters meanwhile marched in cities around the world to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon -- wars sparked by Hamas's attack.

Herzog began the day with a moment of silence at Kibbutz Reim, where Hamas fighters killed at least 370 people at the Nova music festival, AFP reported.

Rallies were held at Kibbutz Beeri, where more than 120 people were killed, and in Tel Aviv, where relatives of hostages and others called for a ceasefire.

The October 7 attack killed 1,205 people -- most of them civilians.

Some 251 people were captured and taken as hostages to Gaza, of whom 97 are still held captive, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.

An Israeli campaign group on October 7 announced the death of Idan Shtivi, 28, a hostage held in Gaza who was abducted at the Nova festival.

Hamas launched its attack in the early hours of October 7, 2023, firing thousands of rockets towards Israeli border communities as its fighters stormed across the border and attacked nearly 50 different sites.

Militants killed festival-goers en masse and went door-to-door in farming communities, shooting residents dead in their homes.

Hours later, Israel launched a devastating military offensive on Gaza.

Ongoing violence

The Israeli army said at least four projectiles were fired from Gaza after the commemorations began, adding it had "struck Hamas launch posts and underground terrorist infrastructure throughout the Gaza strip."

Hamas's armed wing said it had fired rockets at "enemy gatherings" near the border with Gaza, and a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv.

Sirens meanwhile sounded in northern and central Israel, which has experienced daily rocket fire from Lebanon and Gaza.

Since September, Israel has conducted massive strikes on Hizbullah strongholds around Lebanon and launched ground operations across the border.

To the south, Israel's campaign in Gaza is ongoing, with the military saying it has encircled the Jabaliya area after indications Hamas was rebuilding there.

There also is the threat of war with Iran, which fired more than 200 missiles at Israel October 1 in retaliation for the death of Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian general Abbas Nilforoushan in a September 27 strike on Beirut.