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‘Nothing Was Going to Stop Me’: Despite Hamas Firing Rockets, Israelis Gather to Mark Oct. 7 Anniversary
People gather in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to mark the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre. Photo: Paulina Patimer
The whirring sounds of helicopters and booms from the fighting in Gaza punctuated the early morning memorial ceremony at the site of the Supernova rave, where nearly 400 people were killed and dozens more taken hostage to Gaza exactly one year earlier during Hamas’s brutal attack on Oct. 7.
The ceremony began at 6:29 am — the minute Hamas terrorists began gunning down revelers under the cover of rocket fire — with a minute’s silence.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog attended the ceremony, saying it was a date that would “live in infamy.”
“Exactly one year ago, right here in this forest and throughout the area, hundreds of our dear brothers and sisters were massacred, murdered, kidnapped, and raped,” he said. “Innocent citizens, who lived their lives in peace, who came to celebrate at a party. It was the greatest disaster since our founding.”
At the same time, Herzog also recalled the “extraordinary acts of spirit” by the Israeli people in the wake of the onslaught and called for Oct. 7 to reflect a day of unity in the country going forward.
The event was marred by the sounds of sirens in the nearby communities of Holit and Sufa when four rockets were fired from northern Gaza, three of which were intercepted and one landing in an open field. The barrage was one of many throughout the day from both Hezbollah to the north in Lebanon and Hamas in the south in Gaza, extending as far as the central city of Tel Aviv. Hamas’s military wing later took responsibility for the strike on Tel Aviv, saying it had launched M16 rockets. But according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Hamas had planned much more intensive rocket attacks that were foiled when fighter jets struck several launchers and tunnels across Gaza moments before 6:30 am.
Eric Goldstein, CEO of the UJA-Federation, addressed the crowd in English, reflecting on the interconnectedness between Israeli and Diaspora Jews.
“We the Jews of America deeply understand that an attack against you is an attack against us,” he said. “The events of Oct. 7 and the reverberations in America showed how deeply interconnected we truly are and we are forever indebted to you, the people of Israel, for fighting and sacrificing on behalf of Jews everywhere.”
He hailed the “extraordinary heroism and resilience” of Nova survivors.
“The courage, the unbreakable spirit, the determination of the Nova tribe to keep dancing has moved all of us in an incredibly profound way. Please know that the New York Jewish community, the American Jewish community, will be with the Nova tribe and all of the people of Israel forever,” he concluded.
Many attendees said they were not deterred from coming, despite the threat from Gaza, just two miles away, and the Home Front Command’s advice to stay close to shelters. “I had to come; I lost so many friends here that day,” Ily Cohen, who wore a t-shirt bearing the images of two of his murdered friends, told The Algemeiner. “If I didn’t come, I would regret it for the rest of my life. I don’t know how this scar will ever heal.”
Rami Davidian, a 58-year-old farmer hailed as a national hero for risking his life to save hundreds during the Supernova massacre by repeatedly shuttling people from the site to safety, said he still suffers from severe PTSD due to the horrific scenes he witnessed that day.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been a year. I’m trying to make the connection between the Rami of Oct. 6 [2023] and the Rami of now. But I’m failing,” he told The Algemeiner.
Rami Davidian. Photo: Taken by author
Ceremonies were held all day in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, beginning the prior evening with several members of the hostages family, including released hostage Sapir Cohen, whose partner Sasha Troufanov is still being held captive.
Sapir, who was released in November, reflected on her time in captivity, sharing a deep sense of divine providence, even though she doesn’t consider herself particularly religious. “I saw a girl curled up like a fetus, shaking, and a man sitting with his eyes closed for hours, refusing to open them or be part of the situation. At that moment, I realized God had sent me to a place where I could do something truly meaningful — I could help the other hostages,” she said. “From that point on, I didn’t care if I would continue to live or what would happen to me. I simply put all my problems aside and transformed from a fearful person with many anxieties into a strong, confident individual.”
Sapir Cohen, who survived Hamas captivity. Photo: Lior Rotstein
Here, too, members of the public said they weren’t nervous about coming out, despite the threat of rocket and terror attacks from multiple fronts.
“I’m not scared at all. I came to show solidarity, nothing was going to stop me,” Irit Shachar told The Algemeiner.
A moment of silence was observed by the families of hostages the following morning outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem.
Levi Ben Baruch, cousin of American hostage Edan Alexander, speaking at the Israeli Prime Minister’s Residence on Oct. 7, 2024. Photo: Paulina Patimer
Shir Siegel, the daughter of former hostage Aviva Siegel, and Keith Siegel, who is still being held in Gaza, said, “A year since 15 terrorists broke into my parents’ house. A year of mortal fear that no one can understand. A year since my father was shot and slammed against the wall by terrorists, who broke his ribs. A year has passed, but it feels like one long day. 101 hostages are still in Oct. 7th, still praying for rescue, hoping to be told they’re going home to their families, safe at last.”
Niva Wenkert, the mother of Omer Wenkert, addressed her son: “Omeri, my life, I miss you. I feel your absence with every breath, every moment in my body. What I fear most, my Omeri, is the look in your eyes when you return, asking: ‘Where were you?’”
Another memorial organized by the families of victims and hostages was planned for later in the evening at HaYarkon Park in Tel Aviv, coinciding with the government-led event in Ofakim, a southern town that also bore the brunt of the Hamas attack. Both memorials were set to be held without an audience due to security concerns and broadcast on national television.
The post ‘Nothing Was Going to Stop Me’: Despite Hamas Firing Rockets, Israelis Gather to Mark Oct. 7 Anniversary first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas Says No Interim Hostage Deal Possible Without Work Toward Permanent Ceasefire
Explosions send smoke into the air in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 17, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
The spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing said on Friday that while the Palestinian terrorist group favors reaching an interim truce in the Gaza war, if such an agreement is not reached in current negotiations it could revert to insisting on a full package deal to end the conflict.
Hamas has previously offered to release all the hostages held in Gaza and conclude a permanent ceasefire agreement, and Israel has refused, Abu Ubaida added in a televised speech.
Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have hosted more than 10 days of talks on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day truce in the war.
Israeli officials were not immediately available for comment on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on a call he had with Pope Leo on Friday that Israel‘s efforts to secure a hostage release deal and 60-day ceasefire “have so far not been reciprocated by Hamas.”
As part of the potential deal, 10 hostages held in Gaza would be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release a number of detained Palestinians.
“If the enemy remains obstinate and evades this round as it has done every time before, we cannot guarantee a return to partial deals or the proposal of the 10 captives,” said Abu Ubaida.
Disputes remain over maps of Israeli army withdrawals, aid delivery mechanisms into Gaza, and guarantees that any eventual truce would lead to ending the war, said two Hamas officials who spoke to Reuters on Friday.
The officials said the talks have not reached a breakthrough on the issues under discussion.
Hamas says any agreement must lead to ending the war, while Netanyahu says the war will only end once Hamas is disarmed and its leaders expelled from Gaza.
Almost 1,650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1,200 killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Over 250 hostages were kidnapped during Hamas’s Oct. 7 onslaught.
Israel responded with an ongoing military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.
The post Hamas Says No Interim Hostage Deal Possible Without Work Toward Permanent Ceasefire first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran Marks 31st Anniversary of AMIA Bombing by Slamming Argentina’s ‘Baseless’ Accusations, Blaming Israel
People hold images of the victims of the 1994 bombing attack on the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) community center, marking the 30th anniversary of the attack, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 18, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Irina Dambrauskas
Iran on Friday marked the 31st anniversary of the 1994 bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires by slamming Argentina for what it called “baseless” accusations over Tehran’s alleged role in the terrorist attack and accusing Israel of politicizing the atrocity to influence the investigation and judicial process.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the anniversary of Argentina’s deadliest terrorist attack, which killed 85 people and wounded more than 300.
“While completely rejecting the accusations against Iranian citizens, the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns attempts by certain Argentine factions to pressure the judiciary into issuing baseless charges and politically motivated rulings,” the statement read.
“Reaffirming that the charges against its citizens are unfounded, the Islamic Republic of Iran insists on restoring their reputation and calls for an end to this staged legal proceeding,” it continued.
Last month, a federal judge in Argentina ordered the trial in absentia of 10 Iranian and Lebanese nationals suspected of orchestrating the attack in Buenos Aires.
The ten suspects set to stand trial include former Iranian and Lebanese ministers and diplomats, all of whom are subject to international arrest warrants issued by Argentina for their alleged roles in the terrorist attack.
In its statement on Friday, Iran also accused Israel of influencing the investigation to advance a political campaign against the Islamist regime in Tehran, claiming the case has been used to serve Israeli interests and hinder efforts to uncover the truth.
“From the outset, elements and entities linked to the Zionist regime [Israel] exploited this suspicious explosion, pushing the investigation down a false and misleading path, among whose consequences was to disrupt the long‑standing relations between the people of Iran and Argentina,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
“Clear, undeniable evidence now shows the Zionist regime and its affiliates exerting influence on the Argentine judiciary to frame Iranian nationals,” the statement continued.
In April, lead prosecutor Sebastián Basso — who took over the case after the 2015 murder of his predecessor, Alberto Nisman — requested that federal Judge Daniel Rafecas issue national and international arrest warrants for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over his alleged involvement in the attack.
Since 2006, Argentine authorities have sought the arrest of eight Iranians — including former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died in 2017 — yet more than three decades after the deadly bombing, all suspects remain still at large.
In a post on X, the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations (DAIA), the country’s Jewish umbrella organization, released a statement commemorating the 31st anniversary of the bombing.
“It was a brutal attack on Argentina, its democracy, and its rule of law,” the group said. “At DAIA, we continue to demand truth and justice — because impunity is painful, and memory is a commitment to both the present and the future.”
31 años del atentado a la AMIA – DAIA. 31 años sin justicia.
El 18 de julio de 1994, un atentado terrorista dejó 85 personas muertas y más de 300 heridas. Fue un ataque brutal contra la Argentina, su democracia y su Estado de derecho.
Desde la DAIA, seguimos exigiendo verdad y… pic.twitter.com/kV2ReGNTIk
— DAIA (@DAIAArgentina) July 18, 2025
Despite Argentina’s longstanding belief that Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah terrorist group carried out the devastating attack at Iran’s request, the 1994 bombing has never been claimed or officially solved.
Meanwhile, Tehran has consistently denied any involvement and refused to arrest or extradite any suspects.
To this day, the decades-long investigation into the terrorist attack has been plagued by allegations of witness tampering, evidence manipulation, cover-ups, and annulled trials.
In 2006, former prosecutor Nisman formally charged Iran for orchestrating the attack and Hezbollah for carrying it out.
Nine years later, he accused former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner — currently under house arrest on corruption charges — of attempting to cover up the crime and block efforts to extradite the suspects behind the AMIA atrocity in return for Iranian oil.
Nisman was killed later that year, and to this day, both his case and murder remain unresolved and under ongoing investigation.
The alleged cover-up was reportedly formalized through the memorandum of understanding signed in 2013 between Kirchner’s government and Iranian authorities, with the stated goal of cooperating to investigate the AMIA bombing.
The post Iran Marks 31st Anniversary of AMIA Bombing by Slamming Argentina’s ‘Baseless’ Accusations, Blaming Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Jordan Reveals Muslim Brotherhood Operating Vast Illegal Funding Network Tied to Gaza Donations, Political Campaigns
Murad Adailah, the head of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, attends an interview with Reuters in Amman, Jordan, Sept. 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
The Muslim Brotherhood, one of the Arab world’s oldest and most influential Islamist movements, has been implicated in a wide-ranging network of illegal financial activities in Jordan and abroad, according to a new investigative report.
Investigations conducted by Jordanian authorities — along with evidence gathered from seized materials — revealed that the Muslim Brotherhood raised tens of millions of Jordanian dinars through various illegal activities, the Jordan news agency (Petra) reported this week.
With operations intensifying over the past eight years, the report showed that the group’s complex financial network was funded through various sources, including illegal donations, profits from investments in Jordan and abroad, and monthly fees paid by members inside and outside the country.
The report also indicated that the Muslim Brotherhood has taken advantage of the war in Gaza to raise donations illegally.
Out of all donations meant for Gaza, the group provided no information on where the funds came from, how much was collected, or how they were distributed, and failed to work with any international or relief organizations to manage the transfers properly.
Rather, the investigations revealed that the Islamist network used illicit financial mechanisms to transfer funds abroad.
According to Jordanian authorities, the group gathered more than JD 30 million (around $42 million) over recent years.
With funds transferred to several Arab, regional, and foreign countries, part of the money was allegedly used to finance domestic political campaigns in 2024, as well as illegal activities and cells.
In April, Jordan outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s most vocal opposition group, and confiscated its assets after members of the Islamist movement were found to be linked to a sabotage plot.
The movement’s political arm in Jordan, the Islamic Action Front, became the largest political grouping in parliament after elections last September, although most seats are still held by supporters of the government.
Opponents of the group, which is banned in most Arab countries, label it a terrorist organization. However, the movement claims it renounced violence decades ago and now promotes its Islamist agenda through peaceful means.
The post Jordan Reveals Muslim Brotherhood Operating Vast Illegal Funding Network Tied to Gaza Donations, Political Campaigns first appeared on Algemeiner.com.