The October 7 massacre was a brutal series of terrorist attacks along the Gaza border, when Hamas terrorists under the cover of a barrage of rocket fire infiltrated several Israeli towns, cities, and IDF bases.
The resulting attacks stretched as far east as Ofakim in the Negev and resulted in at least 1,200 people murdered and hundreds taken hostage by Hamas back to Gaza.
Occurring on the morning of the Simchat Torah holiday, the October 7 massacre kicked off Operation Swords of Iron, the code name for Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
This sounds like a vicious cycle of clearing areas again and again from Hamas, which the IDF chief of staff describes as a “Sisyphean task.”
Israel is grappling with the psychological toll on more than 100 released hostages, thousands of injured soldiers, tens of thousands of evacuees from border communities in the South and North.
The topic of revenge is discussed frequently in Jewish literature. God commanded the Jewish people, “Don’t seek revenge or carry a grudge against any of your people. Love your neighbor as yourself."
The lessons of October 7 remain stark: If we do not confront this new manifestation of antisemitism now, it will only grow.
To gain some insight into the thoughts of those who have now been away from their homes for over a year, I met with families currently housed in one of Netanya’s many hotels.
The IDF said that it is reviewing the information, adding that it could not currently confirm or refute its authenticity.
Several EU states have said they will meet their commitments under the statute if needed, but Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has invited Netanyahu to visit his country.
The community health centers aim to provide access to services for hundreds of thousands of Israelis without the stigma associated with mental illness.
Among the five were Gahad Mahmud Yahya Kahlot, a Nukhba company commander and Muhammed Riad Ali Okal, a Hamas company commander.
Epshtein, aged 19, from Nesher, served in the Givati Brigade.
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