Oren Graziani could not sleep last night as he struggled with the decision of whether to attend his son’s memorial in the morning. As dawn arrived, his wife and daughter chose to spend the day in Eilat, seeking a temporary escape from their grief. Graziani went alone.
“I felt in my heart that I needed to be here. Today feels different. October 7—it tore our family apart,” said the 53-year-old real estate agent, carefully wiping sand from a photograph of his 21-year-old son, Maor Graziani, who was killed at the Nova music festival.
Graziani was joined by hundreds of others paying tribute to Maor and the more than 1,200 people killed, as well as the 251 taken hostage on October 7, 2023.
Tuesday marked two years since militants led by Hamas attacked southern Israel, targeting a music festival and communities near the Gaza border.
The assault was the deadliest in Israel’s history, upending the nation’s sense of security and leading to a prolonged military operation in Gaza that has resulted in over 67,000 Palestinian deaths. A United Nations investigation has accused Israel of actions amounting to genocide in Gaza.
The distant sounds of artillery and gunfire from Gaza drew no reaction from those at the memorials. Meanwhile, in Gaza, there was no pause in the bombings to allow civilians to mourn their dead. At least 10 Palestinians were reported killed since dawn on Tuesday.
The lasting impact of the attack was evident across Israel. At the Nova festival memorial site, where nearly 400 people died, photos of the victims were displayed with red metal flowers beneath them.
“I spoke to Maor moments before he died. His last words were not to be afraid, that everything was okay,” Graziani said. He held onto hope that his son was only missing—until, three days later, a video surfaced showing Maor’s car struck by gunfire as he tried to escape to a nearby community. The military soon confirmed his death.
Other grieving families stood silently during the memorial services. A survivor shared her escape story with a group of American visitors who had traveled to mark the anniversary.
“I wanted to see it for myself. What happened here was horrific, and it feels like the world and the media are moving on,” said Hannah Epstein, 37, who had flown in from Tennessee, wiping away tears.
Others attended out of solidarity, vowing to ensure such an event never occurs again. “This should never happen in the future,” said Hezi Kedem, 64, a jewelry factory owner.
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