At Oct. 7 ceremonies, PM vows to settle scores

As Israel officially marked the third anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, invasion and massacre, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his pledge to exact vengeance against all who were involved in the attack, while other officials urged accountability for the failures surrounding the onslaught.

The national day of remembrance for the attack, marked on the Hebrew calendar, falls this year on October 5. The Hebrew memorial date of Tishrei 24, established by the government, comes two days after the Simchat Torah holiday, during which the attack occurred.

Flags were lowered to half-staff at the Knesset and the President’s Residence on Monday morning to mark the day. Two state ceremonies took place at the Mount Herzl military cemetery: one for the war’s fallen soldiers, and another for the civilian victims of the attack.

Netanyahu focused both of his speeches on threatening Israel’s regional enemies and lambasting world leaders for their criticism of the Jewish state.

Others, including President Isaac Herzog and Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the IDF chief of staff, called for accountability and a thorough investigation into the security failures that led to the brutal massacre.