Vigils held to mark October 7 anniversary of Hamas attack

Vigils are taking place across Australian capital cities today to mark three years since the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, which killed 1200 people, saw 250 taken hostage, and triggered the war in Gaza.

Commemorations are being held nationwide, including in Sydney at Bondi Beach, where 15 people were killed in an antisemitic terror attack in December last year. 

Pro-Palestine groups have also planned their own vigils for the day, sparking condemnation from Jewish groups and the NSW government.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a statement on Wednesday morning remembering the victims of the attack, including Australian woman Galit Carbone. 

He described October 7 as “the largest loss of Jewish life on any single day since the Holocaust”.

"Today, we pause to remember the devastation that Hamas unleashed in the terrorist attack in Israel on the 7th of October, 2023," Albanese said. 

"We solemnly vow to never forget what the terrorists perpetrated in all their cruelty."

Read more

‘A hair away from losing our money’: New kind of scam nearly cost Colleen everything

Albanese said the anniversary came as Australia continues to mourn the terror attack at Bondi Beach late last year.

"For so many, no day since has been easy, but anniversaries fall with their own terrible weight," he said. 

"And for many others, what compounds the pain is the approach of the first anniversary of the antisemitic terror attack at Bondi Beach."

He stated that Australia stands against antisemitism and racism, reiterated that Hamas must disarm, and called for progress toward a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace.

Alex Ryvchin from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry told Today the mood at Bondi this morning was sombre and reflective. 

“It’s a day when we pause and remember the horrors of that day, and it’s a day that no Jewish Australian will ever forget,” he said.  

“It’s one of those moments that you realise as its unfolding that our lives are changing forever.”

Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian organisations have faced criticism for scheduling events on the same day.

Jews Against the Occupation 48 is holding a vigil in Sydney using the slogan “Don’t let Israel steal the date”, while Wollongong Friends of Palestine is gathering “to stop and remember the martyrs and all those who suffer and continue to resist”.

Organisers stated that October 7 also marks three years since Israel began air strikes on Gaza following the Hamas attack. 

Spokesperson Michelle Berkon told the ABC the event was a “solemn and peaceful vigil to commemorate the beginning of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians” – referencing a UN Human Rights Council panel finding from last year that Israel rejects.

Ryvchin said people taking part in the pro-Palestine events on October 7 would be judged for it.

“These are people who celebrated October 7, who looked at the same scenes that we did, of people being decapitated and children being murdered in front of their parents, of women being dragged off into captivity,” he said.  

“If people want to look at October 7 and associate themselves with those barbaric crimes and gather and celebrate it and condemn Israel further, let them do it and be damned for it.” 

NSW Premier Chris Minns condemned the pro-Palestine events as “heartless” and “in poor taste”, requesting that Labor MPs not attend.

“There are some people suggesting it can be stopped, the constitution doesn’t allow that,” Minns was quoted by the ABC as saying. 

"They can certainly do that, it's not against the law but as a citizen I've got a right to make a judgement on it too."

He added that police will monitor events to maintain public safety.

Police presence has been increased around vigil locations across major cities throughout the day.