October 7: tensions remain high as conflict rages on

Today, 7 October, marks three years since Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel shortly after sunrise, firing thousands of rockets from the Gaza Strip and breaching the border fence at dozens of points.

An estimated 6,000 militants crossed into Israel by car, motorbike and paraglider, attacking Israeli communities and military positions in the south.

The assault killed around 1,200 people and saw approximately 250 others taken hostage, triggering Israel’s war in Gaza and a conflict that has since had repercussions across the Middle East.

The attack has been widely recognised as the deadliest single day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.

On the third anniversary, Israelis gathered at memorials in Kfar Aza, Re’im and across the country. Moments of silence were held at 6:29 am, corresponding with the time the attacks began three years earlier.

At the same time, anti-government protesters in Tel Aviv dyed the Dizengoff Square fountain blood-red and displayed hundreds of photographs, flowers and messages.

Demonstrators also blocked major highways, displaying signs and banners describing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “guilty” and the government’s leadership as a “complete failure”. Protesters also called for a public inquiry into the events surrounding the attack.

Hamas has said the October 7 attack was carried out in response to what it described as the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the blockade of the Gaza Strip and the detention of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, among other factors.

The impact on Palestinians has also been severe. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 74,200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces over the past three years. Israel has rejected allegations that it is committing genocide, maintaining that its military operations constitute legitimate self-defence, according to NBC.

An estimated 1.9 million people, representing more than 90% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced. Of those, around 1.2 million are reportedly living in tents and shelters, amid increased risks of starvation and disease.

A formal ceasefire was reached around a year ago after both sides accepted US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan, raising hopes of an end to the fighting in Gaza. At the time, Malta welcomed Trump’s peace proposal, with the government backing a just peace based on a two-state solution and international law.

Although, Palestinians living in Malta welcomed the prospect of an end to the war, they criticised the plan, arguing that it favoured Israel, excluded Palestinian leadership from negotiations, and did not guarantee Palestinian statehood or equal benefits.

Despite this, hostilities have continued, with more than 1,460 Palestinians reportedly killed in Israeli military strikes since the ceasefire was announced.

Three years later, Gaza bears little resemblance to the territory that existed before the war. Concerns have grown that large-scale and potentially permanent displacement could become entrenched, amid questions over the absence of sufficient political and military mechanisms to prevent it.