Boston (October 7, 2024) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today released the following statement marking one year since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. 

“Today marks one year since Hamas’ brutal and heinous terrorist attack on Israel. We must never forget the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. In the past year, we have grieved the murders of more than 1,200 innocent Israelis, including Americans, the hostages taken and kept from their loved ones, and those killed in captivity. I have met with families of hostages, mourned with them, and felt their pain deeply, including the family of Yarden Roman Gat, whom I hold in my thoughts and prayers today. The murder of her sister-in-law Carmel Gat, alongside Hersh Goldberg-Polin and four other hostages, is a pain no family should have to endure. It is long past time to bring the hostages home and reunite them with their families who have spent the last year in unimaginable fear and anguish. We need an immediate ceasefire to bring them home, to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, and end the brutal war that has gripped the region for the past twelve months.

“Every life is a universe, and every death is a universe destroyed. The death and destruction we have witnessed cannot continue to be the world we accept. I am steadfast in my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and its right to exist. Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorists, and as we mourn, we must continue to strive toward a shared vision for a just future. Israelis and Palestinians alike have the right to safety and security. Even amidst war we must always work for peace.

“Today, we mourn each life lost and may their memories each be a blessing.” 

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