Standing at the Nova festival grounds near Re’im, where hundreds were murdered and dozens abducted during the Hamas-led October 7 attack, President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday marked the massacre’s third anniversary with a pledge that Israel will remember those lost, rebuild what was destroyed and continue to live.

Herzog joined survivors, bereaved families and others at the memorial ceremony at the site of the festival, which has become one of the central symbols of the atrocities perpetrated on October 7, 2023. This year’s commemoration was the first anniversary since all of the hostages were returned to Israel, either alive or for burial.

The ceremony began at 6:29 p.m., exactly 12 hours after the time Hamas launched its assault three years earlier. Former hostage Elkana Bohbot recited a prayer for the bereaved, followed by Kaddish from a bereaved father and the lighting of a memorial candle. Nova survivor Yuval Raphael, who later represented Israel at Eurovision, performed at the ceremony.

Before addressing those gathered for the memorial, Herzog spoke to members of the international media from the Nova site, recalling what the field had been before terrorists transformed a celebration into one of the deadliest scenes of the massacre.

“Here at the Nova Musical Festival, thousands of young people came to sing and to dance, to celebrate life. People of 36 nationalities, from all over the world and from Israel. They were horrifically butchered, killed, tortured, raped, and abducted into Gaza,” Herzog said.

More than 370 people were murdered at the Nova festival and surrounding area, and dozens were abducted to Gaza. The memorial grounds at Re’im are now filled with photographs and tributes to those killed, drawing bereaved families, survivors and visitors from Israel and around the world.

Herzog said that three years after the massacre, the site stands not only as a place of grief and remembrance, but also as a testament to the determination of the survivors, families and communities that have struggled to rebuild their lives.

“We are here to tell their stories, and to remember, and reflect, and reminisce, and say to the world: we will dance again, we will live again,” he declared.

“We are a nation in agony, but we are showing immense resilience. This whole region, which was attacked barbarically on October 7th, is now rebuilding.”

Communities throughout the Gaza border region held memorial events Wednesday, as Israelis returned to the locations where the October 7 atrocities unfolded. Ceremonies and gatherings were held in communities including Kfar Aza and at the Nova site, while commemorations elsewhere in Israel began at 6:29 a.m., the moment the attack started.

Herzog used his remarks to stress that Israel’s determination to defend itself against terrorism does not conflict with its desire for a peaceful future in the region.

“We are a nation like all nations. We have the inherent right to defend ourselves and fight terror. But we yearn for peace, and we want our neighbors to live in peace as well,” he said.

The president said the international community must work toward the disarmament of Hamas while confronting the broader threat posed by Iran and its allies throughout the region.

“And there is a pathway to that by implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2301, which calls for the disarming of Hamas. This should be the international goal, as well as combating the empire of evil from Tehran,” Herzog stated.

Herzog also expressed appreciation to people around the world who reached out to Israelis and the families of the victims on the anniversary, as messages of solidarity arrived from numerous world leaders and governments.

“I want to thank everybody who came here, and all those who have sent messages of condolences and share in our pain,” he said.

The Nova memorial itself has continued to develop over the past three years. What began with families placing photographs, flowers and personal items at the places where their loved ones were killed has evolved into an official memorial site, with individual memorial pillars and trees planted in memory of victims.

For the Nova community, the site remains both a physical reminder of the devastation of October 7 and a gathering place for survivors and bereaved families determined to preserve the lives and stories of those who were murdered.

Herzog closed his remarks with a final tribute to the victims.

“Let the memory of those who were killed be a blessing to all of us.”

{Matzav.com}