The New Zealand Jewish Council wishes to thank the many New Zealanders who have offered messages of support and are partaking in memorial events on today’s second anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

We mourn for the 1,200 people, Israelis and citizens of other nations, who were brutally murdered, and we acknowledge the deep trauma and loss still felt by their families, friends, and communities.

We continue to call for the immediate release of all hostages taken that day. Forty-eight remain in captivity, some of whom remain alive and enduring unimaginable suffering.

We are hopeful that the ceasefire proposal on the table is accepted and that the war and suffering for both Israelis and Palestinians can end and both peoples can move forward towards a future in peace, security, and dignity.

That future can only be achieved when Hamas is no longer able to rule Gaza and repeat attacks like those of two years ago, as it has repeatedly threatened. We are deeply disturbed by the attempts to justify, celebrate, and minimise the Hamas atrocities and its culpability. Such responses have no place in a compassionate and moral society.

As we reflect on this grim anniversary, we reaffirm our hope for the safe return of all hostages and for a future in which peace and coexistence can prevail over hatred and violence.