More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during three years of war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, while Israel marks the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks that set off the conflict. That figure contrasts with the 1,200 people killed and 251 hostages taken when Hamas-led militants carried out the cross-border incursion, which was the deadliest day in Israel’s history.
Memorials and Grassroots Protests Mark the Anniversary Across Israel
Israelis gathered in silence on Wednesday in Kfar Aza, a kibbutz near the Gaza border overrun by militants three years ago, according to Reuters reporting. The anniversary falls 20 days ahead of an Israeli general election scheduled for October 27. Residents and visitors described the day as deeply emotional for local communities.
Elsewhere in Israel, protesters gathered outside parliament in Jerusalem to demand government accountability, blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for refusing an independent inquiry into the security failures of October 7, Reuters reported. National memorial events also took place at the Nova festival site in the Re’im Forest, where more than 370 people were murdered and 44 abducted.
State memorials were held on Monday, while Wednesday’s events were largely organized by grassroots groups like the “Kumu” movement and survivors’ networks. Naftali Bennett and Benny Eisenkot visited border communities to meet with affected residents.
Displaced Gazans Recall Life Before Destruction
In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians sheltering among ruins recalled life before the war displaced nearly the entire population, Reuters reported. The territory has been transformed beyond recognition, with sustained aerial and ground assaults destroying homes, neighbourhoods, and essential services.
The anniversary marks the first since an October 10, 2025, ceasefire deal. That agreement left Israel in control of roughly two-thirds of Gaza, where remaining buildings have been demolished, while Hamas controls the remaining third, according to Reuters. The Ministry of Health reported that 1,462 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect, as Israeli strikes continue across the Strip.
Umm Mohammad, a mother of five displaced from Gaza City and living in a Deir Al-Balah tent encampment, told Reuters that the war had ripped her family apart. Access to food, water, and shelter remains a daily struggle for the population.
Health and Education Systems Collapsed After Years of Conflict
Gaza’s health system has been pushed close to collapse, with all 36 hospitals damaged and only 19 functioning, according to the World Health Organization. The collapse extends to education, where around 700,000 children aged 4 to 17 have missed almost three consecutive years of in-person education as of April 2026.
The Palestinian Ministry of Education warned of a serious loss of basic skills and a growing academic gap. Economic output has similarly plummeted, with agriculture and industry operating at just 6 percent of their 2022 levels, and construction falling to 1 percent.
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