The Israeli Embassy in Ghana has held a memorial to mark the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack, amidst poignant reflections and emotional tributes.
The memorial, held at the residence of the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana in Accra, remembered the victims of the attack.
What began as a drizzle, soon escalated into steady rain, threatening to disrupt the solemn proceedings which had a rather graceful onset.
Yet, undeterred by the downpour, patrons, including the Israeli Community in Ghana, the Diplomatic Corps and Clergy, remained steadfast, with black umbrellas raised high to form a canopy.
The downpour seemed to mirror the collective tears of Israelis who had gathered en masse for the memorial – a year after the Hamas attack.
The emotional weight of the event was most palpable when a deeply moving video, titled, ‘Remembrance and Resilience’, was played, featuring harrowing footage of the October 7 attack.
As the video played, several patrons, including Israeli volunteers in Ghana, Dina Vahava and Sara Greiver, could be seen openly sobbing with inarticulate sounds.
The rawness of the moment filled the air with quiet sobs; their words, capturing the heart of the evening.
As Ms Vahava, who was in Israel at the time of the attack, said, ‘We have God with us. And we believe in ourselves. And we are continuing the lives for all the people who didn’t make it and didn’t survive it’.
‘They died for us, and all the soldiers and all the civilians are continuing to live for them. So, we have to live.’
‘We have to continue living happily. All the soldiers and all the civilians are continuing to live for them.’ Ms Greiver also told the Ghana News Agency.
On October 7, Hamas fighters crossed into Israel by land, air and sea, killing around 1,200 people, taking 251 Israeli and foreign hostages back to Gaza.
While some returned during a prisoner swap, others were reportedly killed with some 101 still in Gaza.
The horrific violence, scale of the operation, and fate of the hostages deeply shook Israeli society.
Israel’s response to October 7 was more intense than any past war, killing an estimated 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Roey Gilad, speaking at the memorial said, Israel was resilient in the face of the October 7 attack.
Reflecting on the lives Israel lost and the collective grief of his nation, the Ambassador said, ‘the tragedies that unfolded are not just a memory but a call to action.’
‘We must work together, not just in remembrance, but in ensuring that such atrocities never happen again.’ Mr Gilad noted.
The Ambassador said, ‘Israel, post October 7, has changed. We are less optimistic. We are somehow divided. However, we did not lose hope.’
‘Israel in the day after will be stronger than Israel on the 6th of October. Still an opinionated society but nevertheless standing together in order to meet all the very many challenges that are waiting for down the road.’
Ambassador Gilad stated that despite Ghana’s condemnation of the attack, support from other African nations and the African Union had waned.
Ms Louisa Hanson, Director, Middle East Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, said, ‘We in Ghana recognise the pain and loss, and honour the memory of those who were killed and those still in captivity in Gaza. Together, we remember their names and their stories.’
She said Ghana’s condemnation of the October 7 ‘massacre’ served as a reminder of the enduring bond Ghana and Israel shared in the pursuit of peace and security.
Ms Hanson stated that the relation underscored the ‘fervent desire that the entire international community will be making concerted efforts to foster a climate of understanding and peaceful co-existence in the entire Middle East.’
To that end, the Director said, Ghana was ‘greatly concerned’ about the the ongoing escalation of the Israel-Palestinian conflict on Israel’s region by the actions of other parties as it threatened global peace.
Ghana, Ms Hanson, said ‘ will continue to advocate for Israel’s right to exist within secure borders, as well as the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.’
Therefore, she expressed optimism that ‘the two sides to the conflict will work together to realise this aspiration, which must leave room or have any place for terrorism and antisemitism.’
Source: Ghana News Agency