Three years after the October 7 attacks in Israel, Hadassah Medical Center, the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem (MOTJ), bereaved families, and forensic experts convened for the First International Symposium: Lessons Learned from October 7. The two-day event, which opened Tuesday at MOTJ, aimed to document the atrocities, honor the victims, and provide a detailed understanding of the scale and nature of the Hamas assault.

Organized by Dr. Ira Titunik and Prof. Esi Sharon of Hadassah, in collaboration with Granit Almog-Bareket, director of MOTJ’s Leadership Academy, the symposium brought forensic findings to an international audience and highlighted calls from families for greater worldwide awareness of the events and their aftermath.

The conference built on MOTJ’s ongoing efforts to preserve the memory of October 7 through its exhibition “06:29: From Darkness to Light,” which presents the day’s events from the perspective of women who experienced the attacks firsthand. Attendees visited the exhibit and were visibly impacted by its portrayal.

Jonathan “Yoni” Riss, Managing Director at MOTJ, emphasized the institution’s commitment to exposing the human cost of Hamas terrorism. He noted that some forensic findings would be revealed publicly for the first time during the symposium, underscoring the importance of confronting the full extent of the violence. “We are here with a clear mission and a powerful message to the entire world – Never Again begins today,” Riss said.

Families of victims spoke about the importance of the forensic evidence in telling their personal stories. Eyal Eshel, whose daughter Roni was killed at the Nahal Oz military base, urged those responsible for communicating Israel’s narrative to share the difficult autopsy reports globally to convey the magnitude of the atrocities. He described how often only fragments such as a single hair or bone remained, highlighting the brutality of the attacks.

Orly Cohen, who lost her son Amit at the Nova music festival alongside his partner and her sister, expressed gratitude toward forensic professionals for providing much-needed certainty. Cohen described their work as “a gift beyond words” that offered “the first anchor” amid the devastation.

Experts from Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine detailed the challenges they faced in identifying victims. Prof. Chen Kugel, the institute’s director, explained that many remains arrived badly burned, with some so fragile that bones crumbled to the touch. Kugel described evidence suggesting the intentional use of flammable materials to intensify fires and destroy bodies, creating conditions he compared to a “kind of crematorium.”

Dr. Nurit Bublil further outlined the technical difficulties in analyzing DNA damaged by temperatures exceeding 800 degrees Celsius. In some instances, only minimal bone fragments were available, requiring advanced techniques and thorough cross-referencing to confirm identities.

Despite the daunting circumstances, speakers highlighted the professionalism and dedication of those involved in the identification process. Dr. Titunik, a forensic odontologist with over 40 years of experience based in New York, stressed the value of bringing international participants to Jerusalem to witness firsthand the scale of the task and the emotional weight it carried.

The symposium underscored a collective effort to preserve the memory of October 7, ensure thorough documentation of the attacks, and present a clear account of the events and their consequences to the global community.