Already at dawn, dozens of relatives of kidnapped and killed people were on the spot where the Novafestival was held in 2023, just a few kilometers from the border to the Gaza Strip. There, images of the victims have been put up and family members have lit candles and laid down flowers.
A bit northeast, the day began with similar scenes at the kibbutz Kfar Aza, whose members Ziv and Gali Berman were taken away on October 7, 2023 and are still believed to be held hostage by Hamas and other Palestinian extremist groups in the Gaza Strip.
Later on Tuesday, similar arrangements are expected at other kibbutzes in the area, including Nir Oz, which is considered the hardest hit community during the attack two years ago.
The turnout at the memorial events is expected to be large, especially since it is sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles this week, one of the largest holidays in the Jewish calendar.
In the evening, the memorial actions culminate with a televised ceremony from Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv.
From the government and the state of Israel, however, it is relatively quiet. This is partly because most things are closed due to sukkot, and partly because the Jewish calendar has a completely different year count than the Gregorian calendar, which is used in most of the Western world. Therefore, according to the official Israeli timekeeping, it is not an anniversary now.
