Remembering October 7th
Israel-Gaza conflict two years after October 7: Two years have passed since Hamas’ surprise attack killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 250 hostages. The trauma was immediate and sweeping. Israel’s military entered Gaza in response, beginning one of the deadliest and most painful conflicts in recent history. Both Israelis and Palestinians still feel the pain and loss.
Now, in October 2025, Israelis and Palestinians look back with grief, fear, and a faint hope. Memorials are held in Israel, and hostage families still pray for their loved ones. In Gaza, daily life means struggling for survival amid ruins, hunger, and disease. The world is watching talks in Egypt that might bring this bloodshed to an end.
Main Events: From Attack to Unending War
- October 7, 2023: Hamas attacks, killing 1,200 and taking 250 hostages.
- Late 2023: Israel invades Gaza, civilian deaths rapidly mount. Hostages remain captive.
- 2024: Several short ceasefires are broken. Gaza’s infrastructure and health systems collapse; famine is declared.
- 2025: Sporadic fighting continues, some hostage exchanges, and new peace negotiations in Egypt with the US, Egypt, and Qatar as mediators.
Today, Gaza’s population has shrunk due to deaths and displacement. Israeli families mourn daily, with the trauma of October 7 still fresh.
The Situation in Gaza
Gaza has endured massive destruction. More than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed—over 80% are civilians, including 18,000 children. Hundreds of thousands more are injured. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2 million residents are displaced; many live in tents without enough food, water, or medicine.
Aid agencies call the crisis “indescribable.” Famine is widespread. Children die from hunger; many are orphaned. Gaza’s few working hospitals are overwhelmed. UNICEF reports one child is killed or wounded every 17 minutes. For most in Gaza, daily life has become a struggle just to survive.
Israeli Society: Anguish, Security, and Debate
For Israel, October 7 is still an open wound. Israelis gather at sites like the Nova music festival grounds and kibbutz towns to remember the lost and pray for missing hostages. The sense of safety is gone; border security is stricter than ever.
Politically, Prime Minister Netanyahu is under heavy criticism for failure on hostages and security. Many call for change and new elections. Society is united in mourning, divided in leadership, and exhausted from trauma. Hostage families camp in Tel Aviv and elsewhere, demanding urgent action from the government.
“I know these families, I don’t want any of their mothers to be like me.” — Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Israeli-American hostage (NBC News)
Hostages: The Lingering Pain
Of the original 250 hostages, 48 are still missing. About twenty are believed alive. Families, many camped in Tel Aviv, lead a national campaign: “Bring them home.” Some exchanges have occurred, but many remain without answers. Videos show hostages gaunt and frail, shocking many.
Every family affected by the attack relives that day, waiting for a miracle.
On the Ground: Quotes and Reflections
Tom Fletcher, UN Relief Chief: “The pain here is indescribable… Release the hostages. Protect civilians. End the fighting. Let us deliver aid. There is a glimmer of hope. We must take it.” (UN News)
Yossi Mekelberg, analyst: “Israelis are still living with October 7th, still in trauma, still believing whatever they do is justified.”
Palestinian survivor in Gaza: “We have spent two years in humiliation.” (NBC News)
French President Macron: “Two years after the unspeakable horror, the pain remains deep. We stand in solidarity with the victims.”
Peace Talks and Hopes
Negotiators from Israel, Hamas, the US, Egypt, and Qatar are meeting in Egypt. Hamas wants a full ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, and large-scale rebuilding aid. Israel insists hostages must be freed and security guaranteed. The US has proposed a 20-point peace roadmap involving prisoner exchanges.
Most world leaders—including Macron and the EU’s von der Leyen—want a ceasefire, safe return of hostages, and relief for Gazans. Still, both sides remain deeply mistrustful, so peace talks are delicate.
How Has the Middle East Changed?
The Gaza war has shifted the region’s politics. Saudi Arabia stopped normalisation talks with Israel. Violence has spilled into Lebanon and Syria. Millions have lost homes, businesses, and hope. Israel is more isolated, and even the US has slowed new aid shipments. Most experts believe a two-state solution is the only way forward.
FAQs: Israel-Gaza Conflict, Two Years Later (2025)
- What triggered the October 7 attack?
On October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters entered Israel, killed around 1,200 people and took 250 hostages. Israel responded with war on Gaza. - How many civilians have died?
Over 66,000 Palestinians have been killed—most are civilians, including at least 18,000 children. Israel lost 1,200 people on October 7. - What is daily life like in Gaza now?
Most families are displaced, living in tents and struggling for food, water, and medicine. Hospitals and schools barely function. - What happened to the hostages?
Some have returned due to exchanges, but 48 remain missing—around 20 believed to be alive. - Are peace talks working?
Talks in Egypt, mediated by the US, offer hope for a truce and prisoner exchanges, but success is uncertain. - What do most world leaders say?
Most now call for an end to the fighting, safe return of hostages, and urgent humanitarian relief for Gaza. - Where does India stand?
India wants peace, safety for civilians, and immediate humanitarian support for Gaza alongside return of the hostages. - Will the war end soon?
There is hope—but deep mistrust means peace may still take time.
The scars of October 7, 2023, are deep for Israelis and Palestinians. Every family knows loss, every community mourns. As leaders debate peace in Egypt, ordinary people hope that this year—finally—can bring relief and an end to the cycle of war.
“After two years of trauma, we must choose hope—now.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres