Israel marks three years since 7 October attacks as military concludes security inquiry

Military assessments and political fallout in Israel

On October 4, 2026, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir delivered an address at the Glilot military base near Tel Aviv, an installation housing the headquarters of military intelligence (Aman) alongside the Mossad headquarters. Zamir stated that the military is concluding its internal investigations into the security failures of October 7, 2023, emphasizing that the armed forces have full awareness of the disaster's scale and must implement lessons rather than remain bogged down in bureaucratic procedures. The review concludes during heightened domestic political friction in Israel, with legislative elections scheduled in 20 days. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces ongoing public criticism for deflecting governmental responsibility onto the armed forces, while political discourse intensifies following the release of the documentary film Naza, which details surveillance operations along the Gaza border.

Human toll and humanitarian conditions after three years

The third anniversary of the October 7 incursions arrives after three years of conflict that has caused severe casualties across the region. During the 2023 assault by Hamas, militants killed 1,221 people in Israel, injured 3,400, and took 251 hostages, including victims such as Shirel and children Kfir and Ariel, who died in captivity. In response, Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip have killed over 74,200 Palestinians as of October 2026. Although a truce took effect on October 10, 2025, an additional 1,440 people have died in Gaza since that date. Humanitarian reports cite widespread displacement, families searching through collapsed concrete, and the lingering effects of long-standing blockades and bombardments across the enclave.

Religious and philosophical responses to collective grief

French philosopher, essayist, and rabbi Delphine Horvilleur is releasing a collection of sixteen sermons titled Sermons sous les décombres on October 8 through Olivier Nora Éditions. Priced at 21 euros, the volume gathers addresses delivered on Jewish holidays and Fridays starting from Yom Kippur on September 24, 2023. Speaking on France Inter on October 6, Horvilleur explained that the initial shock of the October 7 attacks trapped many people in exclusive empathy for their own community. She identified 2025 as a turning point for recognizing Palestinian suffering, building upon a May 2025 essay in Tenoua in which she criticized Israel's political direction and moral failures.

I realize today, for example, that I am unable to go to a demonstration where there would be only one flag.

Literary works and anniversary vandalism in Paris

Cultural reactions have also emerged through literature, including Alexandra Schwartzbrod's novel Les Fantômes de Gaza, which follows fictional characters Eli Bishara and Ana Güler through the devastation in the Palestinian territory. Meanwhile, international tensions surrounding the anniversary manifested in public spaces across Europe. On Tuesday evening, October 6, 2026, perpetrators tagged the exterior of the 11th arrondissement town hall in Paris with pro-Palestinian slogans. The graffiti on the municipal building included Free Palestine and 7/10: Déluge d'al-Aqsa, referencing the operational code name assigned by Hamas to the October 7 attack.