It has been a full year, one full year, since the tragic events of Oct. 7, 2023, took place in Israel. On that fateful day, over a thousand Israelis, as well as people from countries like the Philippines, United States and Canada, were killed or taken hostage. Since then, a bloody struggle has consumed the region, with Israel firing missile after missile and sending wave after wave of soldiers to obliterate Hamas, the terrorist organization that perpetrated the heinous acts and continues to hold innocent civilians hostage.
But the struggle for freedom didn't stop there. In defense of its land, Israel went after other groups that assisted and funded Hamas, like the nation of Iran and the world's largest terror organization, Hezbollah. In the months since, Israel has proven itself to be a small but formidable opponent to these armies. Even after Israel took out Hamas' leader on Iranian soil, and even after the Israel Defense Forces killed over 200 Hezbollah fighters, including seven of their leaders in the span of a week, the retaliation by both Hezbollah and Iran has proven weak and ineffective; evidence of Israel's strength and its opponents' fear of its intelligence and military apparatus.
Yet despite all the military accomplishments that Israel has made over this past year, there is still one goal that eludes the country: the return of all the hostages held by Hamas. Currently, there are still 97 people being held by the terror organization.
This figure represents less than half of the 251 people kidnapped by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups. At the same time, there are still seven Americans being held by Hamas with no release in sight.
On this tragic anniversary, the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., held a one-year day of remembrance event. In attendance was Jake Sullivan, national security advisor to President Joe Biden; Yasmin Magal, a combat medic whose cousin Omer Neutra is still being held hostage by Hamas; Amitai Argaman, who, in combat against Hamas, lost both of his legs; and Yossi Hoffman, a first responder on Oct. 7, 2023, who, at the event, was wearing a yellow vest, the same vest he wore one year ago -- a vest that still smelled like death. Maryland U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer was also in attendance.
As you walked into the room, there was an eerie sense of a supernatural presence, as if the souls of those killed were there, joining us in remembrance and in the hope that the hostages would soon be returned home and not suffer the same fate that they did.
Sullivan gave a heartbreaking and moving speech during the event. At one point, he became so teary-eyed that he began to choke up. It's evident from Sullivan's emotional response -- as well as the audience's -- to his own speech that everybody feels a personal connection to the tragedy of Oct. 7, 2023.
But beyond the speeches and public displays of grief, there was a quieter, far more personal sorrow that continued to grip the family members still waiting for their loved ones to return home, like Magal, who wore a shirt with her cousin's picture on it. For an entire year, she and her family have been praying for his safe return, uncertain of whether he is even still alive. As time goes on, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and children continue to hold on to fading hopes, listening for every piece of news about a hostage negotiation or military operation that might finally bring their loved ones back into their arms.
Oct. 7 marks a grim anniversary, an anniversary of the largest Jewish bloodshed since the Holocaust. The question on everyone's mind now is, how much longer will this struggle continue? When will the hostages come home? How much more blood must be shed before peace, or at least a semblance of it, can be achieved in the Middle East? Israel, no doubt small, is mighty in spirit, not just militarily but in its people. The Israeli people are one big family -- the death of one is like a strike directly to their hearts.
The tragic events of Oct. 7, 2023, mark yet another harrowing chapter in Israel's ongoing struggle for lasting peace -- a nation perpetually on guard, surrounded by enemies just beyond its borders. Yet despite the unrelenting threat of violence, Israel has demonstrated extraordinary resilience. While the road ahead remains uncertain, the courage and unity of its citizens reveal a nation determined to overcome even the darkest of times.