STORY: Bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the Oct. 7 attacks held an emotional ceremony in Tel Aviv on Tuesday (October 7) to mark the two-year anniversary.

The ceremony was organised by victims' families as an important reminder of what happened.

Many attendees held banners with photos of hostages still held in Gaza, among them, a photo of deceased hostage Inbar Hayman - the only remaining female hostage whose body was not returned to Israel.

A prayer was said by the father of the deceased hostage Ori Danino, Rabbi Elhanan Danino.

More than 250 hostages were taken to Gaza on October 7, 2023 when Hamas-led militants overwhelmed border defences with a surprise assault, violence that shattered Israel's image as an invincible military power.

The assault, in which about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were also killed according to Israeli tallies, triggered a massive military retaliation that has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in Gaza according to health authorities there.

U.S. President Donald Trump has put pressure on Israel and Hamas to reach a deal under his plan to end the Gaza war, which calls for the release of all hostages, both living and deceased.

Israel says 48 hostages remain in Gaza, 20 of them believed to be alive.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: ISRAEL’S BEREAVED FAMILIES NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEREMONY FOR THE VICTIMS OF OCTOBER 7

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

EDITORS NOTE: CAPTIONS AND GRAPHICS ADDED AT SOURCE

EDITORS NOTE: RESENDING SCRIPT TO CORRECT NAME IN SHOT 4 AND 5

SHOWS: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (OCTOBER 7, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GATHERING, TAKING THEIR SEATS

2. VIEW OF STAGE WITH THE INSCRIPTION ON THE BACKDROP READING (Hebrew): 'National remembrance ceremony for the families of October 7)

3. PEOPLE WALKING

4. (SOUNDBITE)(English) BROTHER OF DECEASED ISRAELI HOSTAGE ALON SHAMRIZ, YONATAN SHAMRIZ, SAYING:

"This ceremony, built by the families, for the families, it's the ceremony of the people of Israel. More than 23,000 people donated money to help us and build this ceremony. And I think the world has forgotten what Israel and what I have been through on the 7th of October. And I think in this ceremony, we're echoing what happened to us on that day, and what cruelty looks like. I've been in my shelter with my pregnant wife and three-year-old daughter for more than 22 hours as my brother Alon was kidnapped."

5. YONATAN SHAMRIZ SPEAKING TGO JOURNALISTS

6. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN THEIR SEATS

7. CLOSE OF SHIRT WITH YELLOW RIBBON AND THE NUMBER 732, COUNTING THE DAYS SINCE OCTOBER 7, 2023

8. (SOUNDBITE)(English) RESIDENT OF RISHON LEZION, ALONA FORKOSH 61, SAYING:

"I came to the national ceremony for October 7th. We are still in October 7th, 2023, and the need is to commemorate what happened, to let the world know what happened, and to remember and not to forget."

9. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN THEIR SEATS

10. (SOUNDBITE)(English) PENSIONER, MIRNA GAL, 61, SAYING:

"Well, I'm here tonight because I think it is a very important day for us, for Israel. It's been two years since the terrible massacre that took place on the 7th of October. Unfortunately, I think the world has forgotten who started this war and what was done on that terrible, terrible day. And so I'm here to commemorate those who have died and those who are wounded and to be in my heart with the families, hopefully to see them back in Israel soon."

11. PEOPLE IN CROWD

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (OCTOBER 7, 2025) (KUMU-Bereaved Families National Memorial Ceremony - Access all)

12. PEOPLE STANDING IN THE CROWD

13. BANNER WITH THE PHOTO OF DECEASED HOSTAGE INBAR HAYMAN, WHOSE BODY IS STILL IN GAZA

14. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING IN THE CROWD

15. (SOUNDBITE)(Hebrew) CEREMONY HOST, TZAHI HALEVI, SAYING:

"How did the road back to the village, the kibbutz, the moshav, and the town work out for us? What happened to us on that terrible, terrible day?"

16. VIEW OF STAGE

17. (SOUNDBITE)(Hebrew) FATHER OF DECEASED HOSTAGE ORI DANINO, RABBI ELHANAN DANINO CHANTING IN PRAYER:

"Our brothers, all the House of Israel, those in distress and captivity, who stand whether at sea or on land may the Almighty have mercy on them and bring them from hardship to relief, from darkness to light, and from subjugation to redemption, swiftly and soon. And let us say, Amen.”

18. VIEW OF STAGE

19. PEOPLE STANDING IN THE CROWD