Three years after the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants, which resulted in the deadliest day for Israeli civilians since the Holocaust, many survivors in Israel continue to grapple with profound trauma. Among them is Deganit Bar Hay, who described lingering psychological scars so acute that she cannot barbecue because the smell of burnt flesh remains a trigger. A recent study found that one in five Israelis is still struggling with mental health challenges related to the massacre, which involved widespread acts of murder, rape, torture, and kidnapping.
As Israel marks the third anniversary of the attack, coverage of the event has elicited differing perspectives on the enduring impact both on Israelis and Palestinians. A major international news wire service published a feature emphasizing the “tragedy in Gaza” in its anniversary report. The article framed much of the narrative around Palestinian suffering and drew attention to what it described as limited Israeli empathy toward Palestinian civilians living near the conflict zone.
The report included images of Israelis observing Gaza from vantage points near the border town of Beit Hanun, where some onlookers were quoted expressing a sense of grim satisfaction toward the destruction witnessed across the border. Critics of the coverage argue that such portrayals risk misrepresenting Israeli sentiments by focusing on destruction rather than the violence inflicted by Hamas militants on Israeli communities. The reporting was said to downplay or omit the atrocities committed by the attackers, including cases of hostages found murdered, tortured, or raped.
In addition, the news service pointed out the extensive hardships endured by Gaza’s roughly two million residents, many living in impoverished conditions amid ongoing devastation. The article suggested that empathy towards Palestinians remains scarce among Israeli communities still coping with trauma and loss, implying a moral expectation for Israelis to acknowledge Palestinian suffering despite the violence of October 7.
This framing elicited criticism from some Israeli observers who consider it inappropriate to focus on Palestinian hardships on the anniversary of an attack that inflicted such deep wounds on Israeli society. They questioned whether victims of a traumatic assault could be reasonably expected to prioritize attention on the suffering of perpetrators’ communities, drawing comparisons to international conflict coverage such as the reporting on the Bucha massacre during the war in Ukraine, where the focus remained largely on victims of violence.
One editor involved in the anniversary coverage acknowledged the complexities of empathy, citing psychological research that highlights its selective and sometimes distorted nature. This underscores broader debates about the role of empathy in journalism and how narratives are shaped in the context of enduring and asymmetric conflicts.
As the anniversary unfolds, the legacy of October 7 continues to reverberate across Israeli society, where grief, trauma, and security concerns coexist with ongoing tensions related to Gaza. Both the remembrance of Israeli victims and the enduring humanitarian situation in Gaza remain central issues in the region’s fragile landscape.