Israel held memorial events Wednesday marking three years since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack, as families and others paid tribute at sites targeted in the assault.
About 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage in the attack, according to the BBC and PBS NewsHour. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the nation was united in longing for those lost, the BBC reported. Protesters called for an independent state inquiry into security failures on the day of the attack.
The assault prompted Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. The BBC reported the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said more than 74,200 people had been killed there; Al Jazeera reported the ministry’s figure as at least 74,254. Violence has continued in Gaza despite a ceasefire announced last October, according to Al Jazeera.