Israel plans official National Mourning Day for Oct 7 attack on its Hebrew anniversary date, Oct 26-27

The first anniversary of the Hamas Oct. 7 invasion and terror attack on southern Israel was observed according to the Gregorian calendar. The Israeli government announced last week that a “National Day of Mourning” will be held according to the Hebrew date, the 25th of the month Tishrei.

The massacre on Oct. 7, 2023, took place on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah (the 22nd of Tishrei), during which state ceremonies are not held. This year, the day after Simchat Torah is a Friday, therefore, the day of mourning will begin at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 and will end 24 hours later on Sunday, Oct. 27.

The State of Israel is reportedly planning to hold two state memorial ceremonies on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. The first ceremony will commemorate security forces who were murdered or fell in battle with Hamas terrorists on the dark day that Israelis refer to as the "Black Shabbat."

The second state memorial ceremony is earmarked for civilians and rescue forces who were murdered during the attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

On that day, a Hamas-led attack force of some 6,000 Palestinian terrorists from Gaza launched a missile and rocket attack in the early morning hours and then invaded southern Israel by land, sea and air, massacring 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians including women, children and the elderly. The terrorists also kidnapped 251 Israelis and foreign nationals, living and deceased, into the Gaza Strip, 97 of whom are still being held in captivity.

The Netanyahu government appointed Transport and Infrastructure Minister Miri Regev to be in charge of both state memorial ceremonies. Israeli flags will be lowered to half-mast at 06:29 to mark the beginning of the ceremonies. The Israeli government has urged Defense and Education ministers to conduct activities of bravery, memory and hope in schools and among Israeli soldiers.

"The events of the Seventh of October are the biggest terror attack in the history of the State of Israel. Therefore, in accordance with the government's decision, the first anniversary of the horrific massacre will be commemorated as a national day of mourning in the State of Israel. Moreover, every year near Simchat Torah, memorial ceremonies will be held from the State of Israel in memory of the fallen and the murdered. The State of Israel will bow its head on this day and will dedicate the memory and bravery of its beloved sons and daughters, battle casualties, victims of the attack, and victims of the bombings since the Seventh of October," the government announced in a statement.

The October 7 attack on Israel has already been compared to both Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States 60 years later. While Oct. 7 remains the worst terrorist attack in Israel’s modern history, Hamas had reportedly been planning an even larger and more lethal attack against the Jewish state.

Last week, Israel Defense Forces shared documents revealing that Hamas had been planning a 9/11-style terrorist attack on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for years, with assistance from its main patron, the Iranian regime and its proxy forces in Lebanon, the Hezbollah terrorist group.