October 7, 2023. Tragedy. Pain. Torment. Tears streamed down the public’s faces. Captured men, women, and children. Blood being spilled, dyeing the hands of the cruel Hamas terrorists who attacked the people of Israel. Over 1,000 people were killed, and families were separated.

At 6:29 a.m. (Israeli Standard Time), sirens wailed across Israel, marking what would be the beginning of their nightmares. Though used to the constant sounding of the alarms, no one could imagine that this time it would be so different. Terrorists broke down the border, killing those standing on guard, while many other lives were taken near the border at a party that many were attending. 

It is now October 7, 2025, and two years have passed since the tragedy that included killings of innocent civilians and soldiers, destruction of homes, and incessant fears of death. The memory of those few hours is embedded in every Israeli household, along with prayer for the safety of their families and the demand that the hostages who remain in captivity are brought home. 

The stories of survivors are stuck in people’s minds: how their captors beat them and how they forced them to watch each other die. Children who were full of innocence now carry lifelong trauma. Families continue to mourn the loved ones they lost, while many still lie awake every night not knowing the fate of their friends or family who are still being held hostage. 

For those whose family members remain hostages, the pain is unimaginable. Mothers keep the bedrooms of their kidnapped children untouched since the last time they lay their head on their pillow in bed, waiting for the day that they will finally walk through the door. Fathers pray for their children, promising to never stop fighting for their freedom. The empty chairs at Shabbat dinners are constant reminders of what was stolen from them.

Communities like Nir Oz, Be’eri, and Kfar Aza struggle to rebuild, standing strong as symbols of resilience despite the tragedy and loss that occurred there. 

Internationally, the voices of the people must be heard as they call for justice, remembrance, and peace, but for many Israelis, peace feels like a distant dream as every day could lead to the death of another soldier attempting to save the hostages or of a malnourished hostage there for two years. The war has continued, reshaping the lives of the people across the nation, as soldiers still put their lives on the line as families brace themselves to receive the news of casualties or, better yet, rescues. 

It has been TWO YEARS. The scars of October 7 will remain unhealed until each and every one of the hostages is returned home, and even then, the country will have lost several valued people. Though anger and grief consume the people, there is a shared determination: a demand to bring the hostages home, to protect the people of Israel, and to ensure that such an awful event can NEVER happen again. 

The pain has not faded. Today, Israel remembers and promises never to forget the lives lost. May the fallen be remembered. 

Bring them home. Now.