Global Memorials Mark Second Anniversary of Oct. 7

This week marks the second anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 assault — a coordinated rocket and ground attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw hundreds taken hostage, plunging the region into an ongoing war. Jewish communities and allies worldwide held memorials and vigils from Miami Beach, the Bay Area, Tenafly and Winnipeg to London, Manchester, Australia and Berlin, displaying photos, candles and names and pressing for the return of remaining hostages. High-level indirect talks between Israel and Hamas are underway in Egypt aimed at ending the war and securing hostage releases, with U.S. envoys reported to be involved. Palestinian health authorities place Gaza’s death toll from the war at roughly 65,000–67,000, underscoring the wider human cost as calls for a ceasefire grow. Commemorations were marked by heightened security and anger over a global rise in antisemitism and several violent incidents, while communities stressed unity, mourning and sustained pressure for the hostages' release.