The unfinished mourning of Hamas' attack on Israel: Why doesn't the grief stay here, in the cemetery?'

"There are only a few hours left until the sirens mark the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. This year (it varies, as it follows the Hebrew calendar) it falls on October 7, the same day that hundreds of members of Hamas and other Palestinian militias launched a surprise attack that claimed nearly 1,200 lives, triggered the bloody invasion of Gaza, and changed the face of the Middle East."

"Almost all of them were forcibly taken from their homes at dawn. This Monday, hundreds of people held vigils, mourning, and embracing in front of the tombstones in their cemetery, before attending a solemn ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the massacre. Their faces show that the wound is still fresh and open: nine residents of Nir Oz (only four of them still alive) are among the remaining 48 hostages, whose release Israel and Hamas have been negotiating in Egypt since last Tuesday."

Sukkot coincided with the October 7 attack when hundreds of militants launched a surprise assault that killed nearly 1,200 people, triggered the Gaza invasion, and transformed the region. Nir Oz suffered heavy losses: 47 killed and 76 residents taken hostage out of 251 nationwide. Survivors held vigils and a solemn ceremony on the second anniversary, mourning and confronting visible damage: burned houses, flags marking liberated or killed, shrapnel and gunfire scars on safe-room doorways. Former captive Sagui Dekel Chen returned to the cemetery with injuries and trembling voice. Up to 500 Palestinians breached the barrier and entered the community.

Read at english.elpais.com