A year has passed but that day, October 7, 2023, cannot be forgotten. A year ago, around 6:30 local time, the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation began : over 5,000 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel while thousands of Hamas terrorists crossed the border, storming the Supernova festival, kibbutzim and military positions. There were 1,400 victims, 254 hostages: 229 civilians and 25 soldiers.
A ferocious attack that changed everything, for Israel and for the Palestinians, plunging the Middle East into war once again. Today the celebration in the Synagogue in Rome, at the Tempio Maggiore at the Portico d'Ottavia, with the highest officials of the Jewish Communities: "What happened on October 7 is not for us an isolated episode but the continuation of a story in new forms but always with the same meaning - said the Chief Rabbi of Rome Riccardo Di Segni - the expression of a blind and senseless hatred that often leaves us alone".
"On this day, we reaffirm Israel's legitimate right to defend itself and live in safety within its borders, but also the need for this to be exercised in compliance with international humanitarian law ," said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. "We cannot, in fact, remain insensitive to the enormous toll of innocent civilian victims in Gaza, victims twice over," added Meloni, "first of the cynicism of Hamas, which uses them as human shields, and then of Israeli military operations."
The appeal for the hostages
Young and old, women, men and children: over a hundred people have been missing from their homes for 365 days. "We are obliged to bring them back," declared Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu on the first anniversary of the massacre. Just a few hours ago, the municipality of Petah Tikva, in central Israel, announced that among them there is another victim: the hostage Idan Shtivi, 28, was murdered on October 7, 2023 at the Nova festival in Reim and his body is being held in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the prime minister has called a security meeting , an Israeli official told The Times of Israel. The meeting is urgent, as a scheduled meeting between Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot was postponed at the last minute.
The Turkish attack
From Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that Israel will pay the price for the “genocide” in Gaza. “ It should not be forgotten that Israel will sooner or later pay the price for this genocide that it has been carrying out for a year and is still continuing,” he wrote in X. “Just as the common alliance of humanity stopped Hitler, Netanyahu and his murderous network will be stopped in the same way,” Erdogan added, again comparing the Israeli prime minister to the Nazi dictator . “As Turkey, we will continue to oppose the Israeli government, regardless of the cost, and we invite the world to join this honorable position.”
(Unioneonline/D)
