Words and images from a day of mourning

The international day of mourning for the victims of October 7, 2023 began in Sydney with a sunset vigil on Sunday evening. A giant memorial candle sand sculpture was lit in front of Sydney Harbour, and survivor Michal Ohana addressed the crowd.

The ceremony was the first of dozens of memorials around the world remembering the 1200 people killed, 251 kidnapped and thousands more raped, injured, and left homeless after the Hamas invasion last year.

Mourning happened as Israel faced continuing barrages from both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Five people were injured in Haifa and one in Tiberius when Israel's defence system failed to counter Hezbollah rockets. Hamas released its heaviest barrage of rockets in months, targeting southern communities and Tel Aviv.

In Israel, a one minute silence was observed across the country but unlike on Israel’s other memorial days, it wasn’t signaled by a siren. The Home Front Command barred sirens lest Israelis confuse them with those triggered by ongoing rocket fire from Hezbollah and Hamas, and in recognition of the psychological impact on those for whom tragedy began with rocket sirens exactly one year ago.

Memorial ceremonies were held across the country. At the site of the Nova festival near the Gaza border, the families of some 360 people murdered there gathered in the early morning light. Part of the last track played that day — a song, ironically, lasting 6:29, reflecting the exact minute Hamas began its attack — echoed through the air, the pulsating psychedelic trance beats incongruous with the pall that hung over the gathering.

In Jerusalem a third of the city’s residents packed Paris Square to watch a ceremony organised by the victims’ families and broadcast to more than 300 communities. In the southern city of Ofakim, an official ceremony was held with victims families; a human chain was formed in homage to the hostages in Tel Aviv; and hostage families held a vigil outside the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.