The Dark Legacy of October 7 The Terror and Tragedy One Year On

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On October 7, the world witnessed a level of brutality that stunned many, marking the darkest day for Israel since the Holocaust. The massacre carried out by Hamas on that fateful day was a horror etched into the minds of survivors and the Jewish people alike. It was a day when families were torn apart, lives destroyed, and an entire nation was plunged into grief. And yet, the terror of that day has been overshadowed, with international focus quickly shifting towards the conflict in Gaza, leaving the memories of the victims in a haunting silence.

 

Palestinians celebrating the Hostages being taken into Gaza

Palestinians in Gaza on Oct 7th.

Wow (all I have to say)

People actually celebrated this on the streets and joined in on the torturing of hostages!

Absolutely insane. https://t.co/BWlKdbPkWs

— Nelson Epega (@nelsonepega) November 19, 2023

 

Shari Mendes, who survived the attacks, went to the United Nations on December 4 to recount the gruesome sexual violence she witnessed. The horrors she described were almost beyond comprehension, with women and girls, regardless of their faith—whether Jewish, Christian, Druze, Hindu, or Muslim—falling victim to the unspeakable atrocities committed that day. Her powerful testimony, while significant, was met with a delayed and inadequate response. Mendes was left questioning why the mass violation of Israeli women did not incite more outrage. "The UN is supposed to represent all nations," she reflected. "And yet, on August 17, when they held an exhibit to honor victims of terror attacks, October 7 was nowhere to be seen." 

Does she look like a soldier?!

How sick you need to be to kidnappe a grandma ⁉️⁉️#hamas #hamasisis

Never forget Oct 7th pic.twitter.com/1hy90IenKq

— Elly 🎗️Israel Hamas War Updates (@elly_bar) October 6, 2024

 

The brutal violence on October 7 wasn’t just sexual; it was rampant and methodical. Survivors, like Nimrod, can still recall the horrors of that day. "I saw it all," he says, "women raped, dead children in cars, families burned." The devastation was so severe that he likened it to scenes from the Holocaust. Nimrod’s memories of Kibbutz Be'eri are forever stained with the images of mutilated bodies, some with parts missing, some left in macabre poses by their captors. The terrorists, he said, didn’t just kill—they made a spectacle of their cruelty.

 

Emily, one of the (British) Hostages still being held.

 

 

Among those who bore witness to the unspeakable acts was Aner Shapira, a young man who had gone to the Supernova festival in the Negev desert with his best friend, Hersh Goldberg-Polin. What began as a joyful night of music and camaraderie quickly descended into a nightmare. The festival-goers, many of them young and full of life, found themselves at the mercy of paragliding terrorists who had breached Israel’s southern border in 30 different locations. The idyllic festival grounds became a slaughterhouse as Hamas terrorists hunted down the defenseless crowd. Some, like Noa Argamani, were captured and taken hostage, while others hid in terror, pretending to be dead as their friends were slaughtered around them.

 

The story of Shani Louk, a 22-year-old German-Israeli with dreadlocks, is one of the most harrowing. She was abducted from the festival, her half-naked body displayed on the back of a truck as it was paraded through Gaza’s streets. She was spat upon and brutalized, a horrifying symbol of the unchecked savagery of that day.

 

 

These stories, as gut-wrenching as they are, are only a fraction of the terror experienced by the Israeli people on October 7. And yet, the global response has been muted. "Of course, they raped women," Nimrod says, his voice filled with anger. He recalls finding a map of the kibbutzim on one of the terrorists, complete with a list of Hebrew phrases, one of which read: "Pull your pants down." The gruesome details of that day, from the rapes to the mutilations, are a stark reminder of what happens when hatred is allowed to fester unchecked.

 

 

Even as survivors like Shari and Nimrod speak out, they struggle to comprehend why the world isn’t paying more attention. "What about the fact that there are still 101 hostages, living and dead?" Shari asks, her frustration palpable. "Why are their names not on everyone’s lips? Every. Single. Day."

 

The legacy of October 7 is one of grief, loss, and unrelenting pain. The survivors continue to tell their stories, hoping that the world will not forget the horrors they endured. In the words of Nimrod, "I’ve seen what happens to the Jewish people without an army." That haunting observation remains a stark warning to all.

 

 

Based on a report from Daily Telegraph 2024-10-07