Israel remembers October 7 attack, 2 years later

Two years since October 7 attack on Israel

Two years after Hamas launched an attack on Israel and sparked a war in Gaza, there’s some hope that conflict will begin to die down in the Middle East. This Tuesday, October 7th will mark two years since Hamas launched a surprise attack into Israel, killing more than 1,000 Israelis and sparking a war that has killed thousands and caused widened conflicts across the region. LiveNOW’s Andy Mac is learning more with Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, a senior vice president for research at FDD.

It’s been two years since Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel, plunging the region into war.

By the numbers:

Around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and 251 others were abducted. Forty-eight remain in Gaza, around 20 of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.

President Trump demands Hamas accept peace deal

U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that Hamas accept a peace deal proposed by 6 p.m. EST on Sunday. It comes as Israel and Hamas prepare for indirect negotiations in Egypt on Monday, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a hostage release could be announced in the coming days. Under the latest peace plan proposal, Hamas would release the remaining hostages within three days, give up power and disarm. On Sunday, the Israeli Government gave a briefing to discuss these latest developments.

More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It does not say how many were civilians or combatants but says women and children make up around half the dead.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have fled from one end of the blockaded territory to the other and back again, some in trucks stacked high with mattresses, others on foot carrying their children. People returning to their homes have often found their entire neighborhood blasted to rubble.

British Jews hold candles in memory of those Israeli Jews that were murdered two years ago on October 7th by Hamas. (Photo by Lab Ky Mo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

What happened on Oct. 7, 2023?

The backstory:

Backed by a barrage of rockets, Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns, killing dozens and abducting others in an unprecedented surprise attack during a major Jewish holiday.

In an assault of startling breadth, Hamas gunmen rolled into as many as 22 locations outside the Gaza Strip, including towns and other communities as far as 15 miles from the Gaza border. In some places they gunned down civilians and soldiers as Israel’s military scrambled to muster a response.

Israel ready to implement Trump's Gaza plan, Netanyahu says

Tufts University's Dr. Alon Burstein joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to discuss the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war, including reaction from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Hamas's response to President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan.

The latest on peace talks

Dig deeper:

President Donald Trump appears determined to deliver on pledges to end the war and return all hostages ahead of Tuesday’s second anniversary of the Hamas attack that sparked it on Oct. 7, 2023. His proposal has widespread international support.

Israeli and Hamas officials are holding indirect talks in an Egyptian coastal resort on a U.S.-drafted peace plan to end the war in Gaza.

Trump: Israel agrees to initial withdrawal line in Gaza

President Trump said that Israel has agreed to the initial withdrawal line in Gaza in a social media post on Saturday afternoon. This comes after Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House this week, announcing a 20-point peace plan. Hamas has not yet agreed to the terms.

The talks focus on the ceasefire’s first stage, including the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces as well as the release of hostages held by militants in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention, according to a Hamas statement.

Many uncertainties remain about some elements of the plan including the disarmament of Hamas and the future governance of Gaza. Israel is still pounding Gaza with deadly airstrikes despite Trump’s order to stop. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll in the war reached 67,160 on Monday.

How many hostages remain in Gaza?

By the numbers:

Total hostages captured during Oct. 7 attack: 251
Hostages taken before the Oct. 7 attack: four (two who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015 and the bodies of two soldiers killed in the 2014 war)
Hostages released in exchanges or other deals: 148, of whom eight were dead
Bodies of hostages retrieved by Israeli forces: 51
Hostages rescued alive: eight
Hostages still in captivity: 48, of which the Israeli military believes 20 are still alive
Non-Israeli hostages in captivity: four (two Thai nationals and one Tanzanian who have been confirmed dead, and one Nepalese national)

Negotiators meet in Egypt to discuss Gaza hostages

Negotiators are expected to arrive in Egypt on Monday for talks centered on the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and a comprehensive end to the war, according to recent reporting from The Guardian. LiveNOW’s Austin Westfall is joined by Hal Kempfer, a Retired Marine Intelligence Officer and National Security Analyst, as an end to the war appears to still be on the table.

Hamas says it is willing to return all remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the bodies of the dead in accordance with Trump’s peace plan.

Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive — within three days. It would also give up power and disarm.

The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from official sources and news reports, including figures provided by Gaza’s Health Ministry, the Israeli government, and statements from Hamas. This story was reported from Los Angeles.

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