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Two Years After Oct. 7, Israel Confronts Unfinished War, Hostage Agony and Tentative Gaza Talks

Accountability remains elusive, with Israel believing only a small number of the remaining hostages are still alive.

Overview

  • Hamas launched a coordinated land‑sea‑air assault on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people in Israel and abducting 251, with UN reports documenting sexual violence during the attack.
  • The Israeli military says 47 hostages remain in Gaza and estimates only about 22 are alive.
  • Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar has acknowledged security failures in a 2025 probe, while efforts to form a state commission are stalled by a dispute over its makeup.
  • Israel’s campaign has devastated Gaza as the Hamas-run health ministry reports more than 66,000–67,000 dead, figures news outlets note cannot be independently verified.
  • Talks on President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan have opened in Sharm El-Sheikh with Israeli and Hamas delegations and Qatari and Egyptian mediators, as Berlin police say they foiled a Hamas-linked plot last week.