Israel Marks 2 Years of Oct. 7 Terror Attack

In a message marking what he called "the most brutal terrorist attack in Israel's history," Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the U.S. government's "unwavering support for Israel's right to exist, to defend itself, and to ensure the safety of its people."

Rubio said the Trump administration was "leading the effort to secure the release of all hostages, end Hamas's rule in Gaza, and advance a durable peace that ensures not only Israel's security, but generational peace and prosperity for the region."

"I have said it time and again, and I am repeating it today with even greater urgency: Release the hostages, unconditionally and immediately," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. "Put an end to the hostilities in Gaza, Israel and the region now. Stop making civilians pay with their lives and their futures."

"We can't move on, we can't," said Eden Ganam, whose cousin, Yosef Ohana, is still in captivity in Gaza. "This is not the same life that we had before October 7. "We thought it would be maybe a month, a couple of days, but two years?"

Orit Baron, whose daughter Yuval was among the festival goers killed that day, along with her fiance Moshe Shuva, told the French news agency AFP that she came to the site "to be with her, because this is the last time that she was alive."