Israel marked the third anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack on Wednesday with silent tributes, new strikes on Gaza and intense political debate, weeks before elections in which the country's deadliest day will be front and centre.
At the site of the Nova music festival, where Hamas militants in trucks and paragliders opened fire around dawn on October 7, 2023, family members bowed their heads in silence -- although at least one instead put on techno music in tribute to the fallen.
Both at Nova and the Kfar Aza kibbutz, another site of mass killings three years earlier, AFP reporters heard loud bangs from across the border in Gaza during the commemorations as Israel carried out new strikes, despite a ceasefire officially in place for the past year.
Gaza officials said at least two people were killed in overnight strikes in the territory, most of which has been reduced to rubble in relentless bombing in retaliation for the worst attack ever against Israel.
At the Nova site, Katia Zohar, whose daughter Bar Zohar was killed at age 23, called the start of the attack at 6:29 am (0329 GMT) "the minute that changed our lives forever".
"Sadly I remember everything," Zohar said. "The moment she called for me to come and pick her up because there were missiles in the air. Then the second time when she called from the road, screaming that they were shooting at her."
Anna Davitashvili, 53, paid tribute to her eldest son Shaun, who was killed at 25 at Nova alongside friends, by playing the last track of techno music that the partygoers were dancing to when the attack began.
"I feel him here. I'm terribly sorry that I couldn't save him, I couldn't help him get out of this massacre," she said, tears filling her eyes.
- Election battle -
On October 27, Israel will hold elections for the first time since the attack, with polls showing a tight race for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who in three years has ordered the massive offensive in Gaza and fought wars against Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as Iran, whose cleric-run government backs Hamas.
At the Nova site, Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister seeking to oust Netanyahu, told reporters of the attack: "This was a colossal failure of the state of Israel, which was established to defend Jews in our land."
The centre-left Democrats Party put online footage of the attack, without commentary.
"A government that for three years has not destroyed Hamas's rule is a government dangerous to Israel," Democrats leader Yair Golan said.
Netanyahu marked October 7 with official ceremonies in Jerusalem on Monday, which was closer to the anniversary on the Jewish calendar.
He said there would be "no forgiveness for the murderers" and vowed never to allow rule in Gaza by Hamas, which has faced major losses but remains in control of part of the territory.
Hamas, while battered, remained defiant on the third anniversary, issuing a statement calling October 7 "a glorious day of our people's history".
The group said it had "smashed the myth of the invincible army", calling the attack "a natural response to, and culmination of, decades of bitter suffering" including Israel's blockade of Gaza imposed since the Islamist movement seized the territory in 2007.
- Shock to Israeli psyche -
October 7 delivered a deep shock to the psyche of Israel, which has prided itself on protecting its borders despite long odds.
Israelis had a more triumphant narrative last week when passengers helped foil an attack by the co-pilot of a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, although questions were soon raised on why he was allowed to fly.
On October 7, Palestinian fighters breached the border, storming southern Israel with gunfire, rockets and grenades.
A total of 1,221 people died in the attack, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also dragged 251 hostages into Gaza, 44 of them already dead.
Israel's military offensive has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza and killed more than 74,200 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, which is under Hamas authority and whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.
