Three Years After October 7: Israel Remembers as Gaza Death Toll Surpasses 74,000

• by Shimanta Das
• October 8, 2026

Three years after the October 7 attack, Israel paused to remember the deadliest day in its history, even as the war in Gaza continues to exact a staggering toll. The scars of that day remain visible across southern Israel — and underground, where shelters and tunnels bear witness to the violence. More than 74,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s subsequent bombardment and ground operations began, including at least 1,400 in the past year alone, according to Palestinian health officials. A US-brokered ceasefire halted major fighting but has failed to stop Israeli attacks or secure the disarmament of Hamas, leaving the region in a fragile and volatile state.

In Tel Aviv, tens of thousands gathered for the main ceremony organized by bereaved families, separate from official government events. The evening ceremonies at the Nova site and in Tel Aviv paid tribute to both the people who were killed and those who responded and were forever changed — including doctors who helped identify bodies at the main forensics facility and a bus driver who took his own life after the attack, overcome by the devastation he had seen. The brothers of victims have since returned to soccer matches, traveled, and celebrated their 29th birthdays, but say the trauma remains. Israelis remain divided politically over the government’s response and the security failures that allowed the attack.

In Gaza, the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. “A war of extermination, starvation, the absence of schools and universities — nothing remains,” said one resident, describing the devastation. More than half the territory remains in the hands of the Israeli military, and reconstruction is a distant prospect. Meanwhile, Israel has seized swaths of territory in Syria and Lebanon, where more than 300,000 Lebanese remain displaced, further complicating an already tense regional landscape.

Diplomatic efforts have yielded little progress. The UAE did not deny a report that it maintained dialogue with Israel, saying only that it kept communication channels open. As Israel marks three years since the attack, the absence of a lasting political solution leaves both Israelis and Palestinians grappling with grief, insecurity, and an uncertain future.