Israel remembers October 7, "An attack from Gaza foiled on the anniversary"

Meanwhile, the municipality of Petah Tikva, in central Israel, announced that hostage Idan Shtivi, 28, was murdered on October 7, 2023 at the Nova festival in Reim and his body is held in Gaza. Haaretz reports it. The Hostages’ Families Forum also announced the death of Idan Shtivi, while there was no immediate comment from the IDF. As reported by the Times of Israel, the 28-year-old was taken hostage by Hamas militiamen at the Nova rave, where he had volunteered to photograph the event.

On October 7 last year he had joined the party at 6am, and called his girlfriend at 7am telling her about the missiles and telling her he was leaving. Shtivi left by car with two friends, Lior and Yulia, but was blocked by terrorists on the road heading north. He then turned the car around and began driving south, but went off the road, lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree. That’s where he was last seen: the car was later found full of bullet holes and blood.

The bodies of his friends were found, while Shtivi was later listed by security forces among those taken hostage in Gaza. Describing the young man, the Family Forum reported that “Idan loved nature, photography and animals. He had a special bond with dogs and was about to begin his second year of studies at Reichman University. Idan was always thoughtful of his others and often sacrificed his own needs to help those in difficulty.”

On October 7, “when the attack began, he helped a boy and girl he had just met as they were running away – a decision that ultimately led to his abduction.” According to the Times of Israel, 97 of the 251 hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 are believed to still be in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 33 confirmed dead by the IDF.

Hundreds in front of Netanyahu’s house, ‘free the hostages’

Hundreds of people gathered at 6.29am (Israeli time) outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home in Jerusalem to commemorate the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack, calling for an agreement to free the hostages and a ceasefire. Haaretz reports it, adding that the police prevented the crowd from advancing along the road.

IDF bombs Gaza, ‘7/10 rocket attack foiled’

Hamas had planned to launch a larger barrage of rockets against Israel this morning, and its plans were thwarted: the IDF said – quoted by the Times of Israel – underlining that it had “thwarted an immediate threat, following initial preparations and the identification of an intention on the part of the Hamas terrorist organization to shoot at Israel.”

Israeli jets hit rocket launchers and tunnels across Gaza moments before 6.30am, according to the IDF. Hamas managed to launch only four rockets, three of which were intercepted and the fourth landed in an open area.

Hamas claims rocket fire from Gaza towards Israel

The military wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for rocket fire from Gaza towards Israel. The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement that their fighters fired projectiles at “enemy gatherings” at the Rafah crossings, the Kerem Shalom crossing and Kibbutz Holit, near the border with Gaza.

IDF, ‘a soldier killed on the border with Lebanon’

The Israeli army (IDF) announced that one of its soldiers was killed during fighting on the border with Lebanon and two others were seriously injured. The victim is 25-year-old Sergeant Major Etay Azulay, of Unit 5515.

Wafa: ‘The Israeli army attacks Jenin”

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that the Israeli army (IDF) stormed the city of Jenin, in the West Bank, at dawn. An agency correspondent reported that several military vehicles, accompanied by bulldozers, entered the city, heading towards the eastern neighborhoods of Halima al-Saadia and al-Bayader. According to the correspondent, IDF forces surrounded the Jenin government hospital and closed the surrounding streets.