October 7, 2025, marked two years since Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and saw more than 250 hostages taken, according to Israeli figures. The assault triggered Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, which has since caused immense civilian suffering and destruction. On the anniversary, demonstrations and remembrance events took place worldwide as indirect peace negotiations continued in Egypt over a U.S.-backed proposal to end the war.
Why It Matters
The anniversary was observed amid an increasingly polarized global climate. While pro-Palestinian demonstrators condemned Israel’s prolonged military campaign accused by some U.N. experts and rights groups of amounting to genocide many political leaders warned against allowing solidarity with Palestinians to slip into justification of Hamas’ violence. The demonstrations underscored a major shift in international sentiment since 2023: from widespread sympathy for Israel after the Hamas attacks to deep anger over Gaza’s devastation, displacement, and humanitarian collapse. The ongoing war, which Gaza authorities say has killed more than 67,000 people, continues to reshape global diplomacy, prompting several Western nations to formally recognize a Palestinian state in defiance of U.S. and Israeli opposition.
President Donald Trump hosted Edan Alexander, a dual Israeli-U.S. citizen and the last surviving American hostage released by Hamas earlier this year, at the White House. Senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, joined a vigil for Israeli hostage families and survivors. In Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced holding protests on the anniversary, calling it “un-British,” while rights advocates like Mark Etkind, the son of a Holocaust survivor, defended the demonstrations as expressions against genocide. Journalists and observers such as Emily Schrader criticized the protests as offensive and counterproductive. Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian group “Within Our Lifetime” organized mass prayers and rallies across New York City, and protests also unfolded in cities such as Sydney, Istanbul, Paris, Geneva, Athens, Stockholm, and London.
What’s Next
As vigils and protests continue, attention remains on ceasefire negotiations in Egypt, where U.S.-mediated efforts aim to halt the war and secure the release of remaining hostages. Security has been tightened globally at religious and cultural sites amid a documented surge in both antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks since the war began. The ongoing humanitarian crisis and international political backlash are likely to intensify calls for accountability, permanent ceasefire, and renewed momentum toward Palestinian statehood even as divisions between Western governments and Israel deepen over the war’s conduct and scale.
With information from Reuters.
