International News
Israel Observes First Anniversary Of October 7 Hamas Attack
Israel on Monday commemorated the first anniversary of Hamas’s devastating October 7 assault, which left over 1,200 dead, primarily civilians, in a series of unprecedented attacks.
The occasion was marked by vigils and memorials at massacre sites across the country, alongside growing concerns about escalating violence as renewed rocket fire from Gaza and clashes with Hezbollah in Lebanon underscored the region’s enduring instability.
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At 6:29 a.m., the precise moment the assault began a year ago, Israeli President Isaac Herzog led a moment of silence at Kibbutz Reim, near the site of the Nova music festival, where 370 people were killed in the deadliest single episode of the attack.
Tearful families gathered at the ceremony to honor the victims, many of whom were killed by heavily armed Hamas fighters.
“This is a difficult day for us all,” Herzog said, addressing the mourners.
The October 7 attack saw Palestinian militants storming across the Gaza border, targeting multiple communities and events, including the Nova music festival, army bases, and kibbutzim.
The death toll on the Israeli side reached 1,205, according to official figures, with more than 250 people taken hostage.
Nearly 100 are still held captive in Gaza, including 37 whom the Israeli military believes to be dead.
Monday’s commemorations, taking place both in Israel and cities worldwide, followed large international gatherings over the weekend to honor the victims.
In Tel Aviv, thousands attended a vigil for the Nova festival victims, while other events around the globe expressed solidarity with Palestinians affected by the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Even as Israelis marked the grim anniversary, tensions remained high.
The Israeli military reported at least four projectiles fired from Gaza just minutes after the day’s ceremonies began, targeting areas near the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.
In response, Israeli forces struck Hamas infrastructure throughout Gaza. Meanwhile, the northern region of Israel continues to face daily rocket attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon, further inflaming fears of a broader conflict.
In Sderot, a town near the Gaza border, Herzog led a memorial event to remember those killed in last year’s attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the nation, reaffirming his commitment to defeating Hamas.
“A year ago, we suffered a terrible blow, but we have transformed the situation on the ground,” Netanyahu said. “We will not stop until Hamas is destroyed.”
Netanyahu’s government has been locked in a protracted war with Hamas in Gaza since last October, launching a series of military operations aimed at dismantling the group’s leadership and infrastructure.
Despite these efforts, Hamas fighters have regrouped in several areas of northern Gaza, leading to continued clashes with Israeli forces.
In recent days, Israeli airstrikes targeted Hamas positions in the Jabaliya area, killing at least 17 people, including nine children, according to rescue teams on the ground.
The conflict has also spilled over into Israel’s northern front, where tensions with Hezbollah have intensified.
Over the past year, Hezbollah has launched regular rocket fire from Lebanon in support of Hamas, prompting Israeli airstrikes in response.
Israeli military action in Lebanon has left more than 1,100 people dead and displaced over a million civilians, while Hezbollah rockets continue to target northern Israeli communities.
The anniversary arrives as Israel faces the possibility of a wider regional war, particularly in the wake of an Iranian missile attack last week that further raised tensions.
With the threat of an expanded conflict looming, Israeli military leaders continue to stress the importance of maintaining pressure on both Hamas and Hezbollah.
Amid the violence, families of hostages still held by Hamas rallied in Tel Aviv, holding banners and placards with images of their loved ones.
Although a truce in November resulted in the release of over 100 hostages, 97 remain in captivity. “We want them home,” one protester said. “It’s been a year, and our families are still waiting.”
As Israel reflects on the horrors of last year’s attack, the country remains on high alert, preparing for the possibility of further escalation on multiple fronts.
Despite military gains, the conflict shows no signs of abating, with the region’s future as uncertain as it was one year ago.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if the country obstructs efforts to reach a deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump made the threat on Monday during an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, amid ongoing discussions between Oman and Iran concerning control and navigation through the strategic waterway.
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“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump told Yingst, referring to the talks between Oman and Iran while the United States pursues its own discussions with Tehran.
Iranian and Omani officials have been negotiating for weeks over future maritime navigation arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that both sides were working towards a joint declaration.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a major flashpoint amid the ongoing Middle East conflict. Iran effectively restricted traffic through the waterway at the beginning of the war on February 28, while Trump has repeatedly insisted that the strategic route should be under US control.
On Friday, Trump said he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory. Iran rejected the position, insisting that the crucial waterway would “remain Iranian.”
Before the outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was regarded as an open international waterway. The route is critical to global energy supplies and carries significant volumes of oil and other commodities.
Iran has used its control over the strait as leverage against US-led efforts to weaken its military capabilities and force Tehran to abandon its controversial nuclear programme.
Trump also called on Iran to surrender, saying Tehran should “put up the white flag of surrender.”
Despite the growing tensions and the political pressure surrounding the conflict ahead of the November midterm elections in the United States, Trump said he was not in a hurry to reach a deal.
He further disclosed that his administration maintains a direct back-channel with officials of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” Trump was quoted as saying.
Colombia’s outgoing President, Gustavo Petro, has warned that the country could descend into civil war following what he described as widespread fraud in the recent presidential election.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Petro claimed that the June presidential runoff was tainted by “algorithmic, systemic electoral fraud” involving a massive number of votes, insisting the results were manipulated against his political ally, Ivan Cepeda.
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“We are facing fraud and an undoubtedly profound institutional problem, namely the inauguration of an illegitimate president,” Petro said.
The outgoing leader alleged that “foreign money and foreign companies with the capacity to manipulate algorithms” interfered in Colombia’s electoral process, accusing external actors of influencing the outcome of the election.
Petro’s remarks come just days before president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella is due to be sworn into office on Friday in the southwestern city of Cali, a departure from the longstanding tradition of holding presidential inaugurations before Congress in the capital, Bogota.
The Colombian leader also claimed that De la Espriella, who received the endorsement of United States President Donald Trump before the election, plans to extradite him to the United States on what he described as false charges.
Warning of the potential consequences, Petro said, “It’s crystal clear what a civil war in Colombia could look like,” arguing that public resistance to the incoming administration’s actions could trigger widespread unrest.
The political crisis has deepened further after the left-wing bloc in Congress, led by Cepeda, announced it would boycott De la Espriella’s inauguration and called for nationwide mobilization against the president-elect.
Observers have also raised concerns that Colombia could witness a return to violent street protests similar to those experienced between 2019 and 2021, which left dozens dead.
Despite having no prior political experience, De la Espriella has pledged to boost private investment, shrink the size of government by 40 percent, and intensify military operations against guerrilla groups and drug cartels as the country battles its worst surge in violence in a decade.
His inauguration is scheduled for Friday amid heightened political tensions and growing uncertainty over Colombia’s future.
At least 18 migrants have died while attempting to enter Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco, following a large-scale rush by thousands of people trying to cross the border.
Ceuta, an autonomous Spanish city located on the northern coast of Africa, witnessed a surge in arrivals after migrants began making attempts to reach the territory, mainly by swimming from Morocco.
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A police source told AFP on Friday that authorities were unable to determine the exact number of people who successfully crossed into Ceuta after thousands gathered during the overnight attempt.
“There was a steady stream of people all night long,” the source said, adding that although the number of arrivals reduced compared with daytime movements, migrants “continued to arrive overnight and are still arriving” on Friday morning.
Reports of migrants heading towards Ceuta began emerging on Wednesday, with most of the attempts involving crossings by sea.
Footage from Thursday showed large crowds, mostly Moroccans, moving along the breakwaters at Tarajal Beach and into nearby roads. Among those attempting the crossing were young men, as well as families with women and children.
Rachid Sbihi, head of the local workers’ association representing Civil Guard officers, said most of the 18 fatalities were caused by drowning, while others died during a stampede as migrants attempted to force their way through the breakwater fence at Tarajal Beach.
The reason behind the sudden surge in attempted crossings remains unclear.
However, Spain’s Interior Ministry estimated that about 49,000 migrants entered Ceuta within a 24-hour period as they moved by both sea and land routes from Morocco.
In response to the situation, the Spanish government announced plans to deploy the military to support the Civil Guard in maintaining security in Ceuta.
Images released after the announcement showed Spanish soldiers patrolling areas around the Spanish-Moroccan border in the enclave alongside armoured vehicles.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is also expected to visit Ceuta alongside Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to assess the situation.
Ceuta and another Spanish enclave, Melilla, have long been key entry points for migrants seeking access to Europe from Africa.
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