October 7th attack: Events held in Northern Ireland to mark mass terror attack on Israel by Hamas

The date saw Hamas terrorists launch an unprecedented attack on Israel - mainly targetting civilians - which saw some 1,200 murdered, many of them tortured and raped first.

Hamas also took some 250 hostages, many of whom remain captive. Hamas says over 40,000 have been killed in the subsequent war in Gaza.

Tonight at the Belfast Hebrew Congregation, some 300 people attended a memorial event, partly organised by the ICEJ (International Christian Embassy Jerusalem).

Speaking ahead of the event, Michael Black, chairman of the Belfast Hebrew Congregation, told the News Letter: "The problem is, this is not like a memorial, because it is all still ongoing.

"We obviously think about the hostages and the fallen and the innocent people on both sides who have died and are suffering.

"But the terrorist groups behind 7 October are not interested in living side by side with Israel. They say they are committed to the destruction of the State of Israel. So we are very concerned it can happen all over again."

Deputy First Minister and DUP MLA Emma Little Pengelly was one of the keynote speakers, attending with her party leader Gavin Robinson.

She told those gathered: “To those still grappling the heartbreaking reality of not having their loved ones returned, dead or alive, we express solidarity. All hostages held in Gaza must be released immediately.

"No words can truly convey the depth of pain caused by this atrocity. The scale and nature of this attack were nothing short of barbaric."

The October 7th attack was "a deliberate, calculated assault - not just on a nation, but on the very principles of democracy and human dignity" she added.

Also speaking was former Presbyterian moderator Rev Dr Ivan Patterson, who delivered a message from current moderator Rev Dr Richard Murray, who had a prior engagement.

"First of all I'd like to extend my sympathies to the Jewish community on this anniversary of 7th October 2023," he said. "The shocking events of that day were truly a reminder of the depravity of human sin working itself out in man's inhumanity to man. Since then, many further innocents have lost their lives, not only in Israel, and in Gaza, and now also in Lebanon. Our prayer is for the Prince of Peace to rule with justice in Jerusalem and the entire Middle East."

Belfast March of Life, an international holocaust memorial organisation, held a vigil at the gates of Belfast City Hall at 4:29am today, coinciding with similar events in over 120 cities in 23 nations.

Some 30 people attended while the names of all those killed and taken hostage on the date last year were read aloud.

Speaking the morning after, former UUP leader Steve Aiken gave his thoughts after attending the event.

“I was glad to stand in solidarity with our Jewish friends yesterday at the 7th October Commemoration at Belfast Synagogue,” he said.

"The horrific events of the 7th October, and the despicable rise on antisemitism, especially on this island, needs political leaders to stand against the 'othering' of the Jewish community.

"We must also hold those who support the murderous campaigns of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, to account. That the same people who march and shout slogans calling for the destruction of Israel, whilst ignoring the wars in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Sudan, shows that we all have to be on our guard against the 'useful idiots.

"Those who identify with some victims, but deliberately set out to victim shame Israeli's, just because they are Jewish. Regrettably, unless we continue to be vigilant and call out the vile antisemitism when ever and wherever we see it, the 'never again' of the Holocaust, will become the norm for the people of Israel and Jews everywhere".