October 7 attack anniversary: Israel battles two-pronged war with Hamas, Hezbollah; rockets fired at Tel Aviv 

Israel on October 7 marked the first anniversary of the deadliest Hamas attack that triggered a war and risks igniting a far wider conflict in the Middle East. 

Gatherings and protests in Jerusalem and Israel’s south began around 6:29 am, the hour when Hamas-led militants launched rockets into Israel at the start of the October 7 attack last year. 

“We will remember always who kidnapped, who murdered, who raped, who slaughtered. At the same time, we have also seen extraordinary fortitude. We have a wonderful people and on this day we strengthen it and call for unity,” said President Isaac Herzog presided over the memorial ceremony, which began with the last track that was played at the party a year ago, Reuters reported. 

Security forces were on high alert across the country on Monday, the military and police said, anticipating possible Palestinian attacks planned for the anniversary. 

At least two people were injured in Israel after Hamas said it launched rockets from Gaza today morning. Israel’s military said nine projectiles were launched from southern Gaza into Israel, CNN reported. At least five people were injured in Haifa Sunday following a Hezbollah rocket attack, which appeared to mark the first time the militant group struck the northern Israeli city during this conflict. The IDF said it had spotted five projectiles heading toward the city and tried to intercept them, but several landed, the report added. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country faces war on seven fronts, naming Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas. 

The Israel-Hamas war has seen over 40,000 people dead amid a spillover of the conflict to a wider region. Israeli armed forces said it has encircled Jabalya in northern Gaza and launched a new ground operation after seeing signs of Hamas rebuilding there. 

Israel has pounded Beirut in recent days with some of the most intense bombing of its war against Hezbollah, which has killed more than 1,400 in Lebanon. 

The Israeli military on September 28 announced that they had killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Hezbollah militant group, in a strike in Beirut. “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world,” the Israeli military said in a post on X (formally twitter).  

Israeli authorities assert that their military campaign is necessary to protect northern Israeli communities under constant Hezbollah rocket fire. Hezbollah has responded with retaliatory strikes, including missile attacks on military sites near Haifa.  

The region and the world are bracing for an expected Isreali retaliation against Iran, which last week fired over 200 missiles and rockets towards Tel Aviv and other cities. Israel is closely coordinating with the United States as it prepares to strike back at Iran but will make its own, independent decisions about how to retaliate, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told CNN. 

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the largest-ever terrorist attack on Israeli soil. The Palestinian organisation, considered a terrorist group by the US and the EU, stormed through the security fence separating Gaza and Israel and killed 1,189 people, children, toddlers, infants, and animals, including 815 civilians, while wounding 7,500 and taking 251 hostage.  

They used drones armed with explosives to neutralise Israeli watchtowers along with Israeli military equipment and telecommunications infrastructure. Hamas also used motorboats to reach Israel by sea and motorised paragliders to infiltrate by air.