Israel began memorial observances Monday marking three years since the October 7 terrorist attack and massacre, with ceremonies honoring the victims and a stark acknowledgment of responsibility from IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir.
In a special order addressed to soldiers, commanders, reservists and civilian employees, Zamir placed the military’s failure at the forefront of his message.
“The IDF failed in its supreme mission to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” he wrote, recalling the breach of Israel’s borders on Simchat Torah in 2023.
His message combined mourning for those murdered, abducted and killed in battle with a commitment to investigate the failures of that morning, implement lessons and prepare the military for future threats.
Communities transformed into battlefields
Zamir described the devastation inflicted on communities across the Western Negev, where familiar landscapes became scenes of violence.
“In the wheat fields, the orchards, the homes of the kibbutzim, and the towns of the Western Negev, places where the roots of life and settlement were planted, the enemy sowed fire, ruin, and destruction,” he wrote.
Roads connecting communities became battlefronts, fields turned into battlegrounds, and family homes became sites of massacre and abduction.
Three years later, he said, “an entire nation bows its head in mourning.”
The order honored civilians murdered in their homes, young people killed after going out to dance, hostages murdered in captivity, and soldiers and members of the security forces who fell in battle. It also remembered members of local rapid-response and rescue teams who rushed to confront the attackers and help those under fire.
Zamir expressed solidarity with the wounded, those affected by the war and bereaved families, saying the memory of the victims remained a constant reminder of the military’s responsibility.
Citizens still call for an independent Oct. 7 inquiry, three years after the massacre
Accountability and the public’s trust
Alongside remembrance, Zamir emphasized the obligation to examine what went wrong and turn the findings into meaningful change.
“It is our duty to conduct thorough inquiries and ensure that lessons are implemented, so that we may prove ourselves worthy of the trust the people have placed in us,” he wrote.
He pledged to preserve the stories of the fallen and use their courage, dedication and camaraderie to educate future generations of soldiers and commanders.
The chief of staff also paid tribute to the military and civilian response to the attack. He described soldiers rushing into the line of fire, reservists repeatedly leaving their families to serve, and civilian employees working beyond their usual hours to support the war effort.
“In the darkest moments, the cohesion and exemplary spirit of Israeli society shone through,” he wrote.
A pledge to confront emerging threats
Turning to the campaign that followed October 7, Zamir said the IDF had fought on multiple fronts, defended communities and borders, struck capabilities threatening Israeli citizens, and rescued and brought home hostages.
He said the military had also adapted its methods to confront evolving threats.
“We will not allow our enemies to build up their strength unchecked; we will identify threats as they emerge and strike them with determination and might,” he wrote.
Zamir called on troops to carry both the memory of the fallen and the lessons of October 7 into their service, while continuing to strengthen the armed forces and uphold their values.
“This is our duty to the fallen, our responsibility to the citizens of Israel, and our vow to future generations,” he said.
Flags lowered at the Knesset
At the Knesset in Jerusalem, national flags in the plaza were lowered to half-mast Monday morning as part of the memorial observances.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Director-General Moshe “Chiko” Edri and Knesset Security Officer Chief Superintendent Yuval Hen attended the ceremony, accompanied by the Knesset Guard’s honor guard.
The ceremony brought the anniversary’s message of remembrance to Israel’s parliament as the country honored those lost and reflected on the responsibility to prevent another such catastrophe.