London, UK – October 7, 2025

The two-year anniversary of the October 7th terror attacks cast a heavy shadow across the globe today, spurring mass vigils and memorials from Tel Aviv to London, even as critical, high-stakes negotiations to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in the Gaza conflict entered their second day in Egypt.

This momentous day saw world leaders and communities grappling with the enduring trauma of the initial attack and the devastating two-year war that has followed, urging an immediate end to the violence while the sounds of conflict still echoed near the negotiation table.

Headline Points

 * Global Mourning: Memorials and vigils for the victims and hostages of the October 7th attack were held in Israel and major cities including London, Berlin, and on US university campuses.

 * Hostage Crisis Focus: Israeli national ceremonies and gatherings, including a major event in Tel Aviv, highlighted the plight of the remaining hostages, with empty chairs symbolizing the captured.

 * Peace Talks Resume: Indirect negotiations between Israeli and Hamas officials on the US-drafted peace plan continued for a second day in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, focusing on the initial phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange.

 * Hamas’s Core Demand: Hamas negotiators insisted on a guarantee of a full and lasting end to the war and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as a condition for the final release of all hostages.

 * International Pressure: Senior mediators from the US (including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner) and the Prime Minister of Qatar are set to join the talks, underscoring intense global pressure to seize this “fragile opportunity” for peace.

 * Humanitarian Crisis: UN and aid agencies marked the anniversary with stark warnings of the “indescribable pain” and “hell upon hell” in Gaza, calling for accountability and unfettered aid delivery to prevent a total collapse.

World Rallies to Remember and Demand Hostage Release

Across Israel and the global Jewish diaspora, the day was marked by profound grief, defiance, and a desperate plea for the return of all captives. Thousands of people converged on communities in southern Israel that were ravaged during the initial assault, observing a moment of silence at 6:29 a.m.—the exact time the attacks began.

In Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park, an estimated 30,000 attendees gathered for the national memorial ceremony. The stage was set with a burned car from the border area and 48 empty yellow chairs, a haunting visual representation of the hostages still held in Gaza. Family members of the captives spoke, channeling their grief into calls for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to conclude a deal. “There is a deal on the table, there is an opportunity to end this war and bring everybody back home,” stated Shay Dickmann, whose cousin remains a hostage.

The grief extended across continents. Vigils were reported from London, where thousands were anticipated to gather for a candlelighting ceremony, to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and university campuses like Yale in the US, where memorial displays featured pictures of the hostages. Diaspora organisers emphasised that these events were intended as safe, unified spaces for mourning and remembrance.

In Gaza, where the conflict has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and leveled entire neighborhoods, the two-year mark was described by residents as “hell upon hell.” Aid agencies, including UNRWA, issued urgent statements warning of the “indescribable pain” and an acute humanitarian catastrophe, with children paying the heaviest price.

Fragile Peace Talks Under a Looming Deadline

The day’s emotional commemorations occurred with the backdrop of a renewed, urgent push for peace. Indirect talks between Israeli and Hamas delegations, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, continued for their second day in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The negotiations are centred on a comprehensive peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, which envisions a phased end to the war. The first phase reportedly involves a ceasefire and the release of the remaining 48 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a large number of Palestinian prisoners.

Hamas officials, while stating they are ready to engage in serious negotiations, remain firm on their core political demand: a full and guaranteed end to the Israeli military campaign and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, which they tie directly to the release of the final set of captives. While the Israeli government has accepted the broad framework of the Trump plan, which also calls for the eventual disarmament of Hamas and the placement of Gaza under international governance, the issue of total military withdrawal remains a key point of friction.

In a signal of escalating international pressure, senior US envoys, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are set to join the talks, alongside Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, welcomed the diplomatic effort, stating that the Trump proposal “presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end.”

The current round of talks is expected to be confined to a few days, placing immense pressure on both sides to find a consensus that can finally turn the tide on a war that has raged for two years.