The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) held a ceremony at the Nahal Oz base on Thursday to mark the second anniversary of the attack by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
The General Staff Forum, including IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Yiska Steinberg, the widow of the late former Nahal Brigade commander Col. Yonatan Steinberg, were present. At 6:29 a.m. local time – the same time the 2023 attacks began – attendees held a moment of silence in memory of those who fell on October 7, 2023, and in the war that followed.
After a moment of silence, Colonel Ido Kass, who led the investigation into the battle, recounted the series of events that took place on October 7, 2023 at the Nahal Oz base.
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IDF soldiers salute during a commemorative ceremony marking the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack on the Nahal Oz base. (IDF spokesperson’s unit)
In addition to the commemoration ceremony, members of the General Staff Forum participated in a panel entitled “Memory, Responsibility, Heroism and Hope.” The panel also included Cpt. Bar Zonshine, who commanded and fought in battles in communities near the Gaza Strip. Two former hostages, Chen and Agam Goldstein-Almog, were also part of the panel.
“On this day, we face the failure of October 7 head-on and look ahead to our future. We bow our heads to the civilians, commanders and troops who bravely gave their lives. It is our commitment to continue to accompany the relatives, the troops, the wounded, both physically and mentally, as well as the survivors of captivity. Moreover, we will not rest and we will not remain silent until we have the last fallen hostages brought back; this is a moral morality. duty before us,” Zamir said.
“Out of our commitment, we have researched the fighting and presented it to the communities. We continue to study, evaluate and implement the lessons learned. The IDF will not repeat the mistakes of the past,” he added. “It is the duty of the IDF to strive for growth, renewal and hope over the past two years.”
IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir lays a wreath in honor of those killed during the October 7, 2023 massacre at the Nahal Oz base. (IDF spokesperson’s unit)
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Zamir noted that stories of heroism emerged during the IDF’s failures on October 7. He said those who acted selflessly in the face of terror should be honored and announced the creation of the Decoration Committee, which would fulfill this mission.
Matan Angrest, one of 20 surviving hostages who returned to Israel on Monday, was kidnapped on October 7, 2023 while defending Nahal Oz.
Testimonies from several hostages reveal that Angrest was subjected to particularly harsh treatment during his captivity, including starvation and torture. The Jerusalem Post reported that Angrest suffers from asthma, which worsened in the damp tunnels.
Matan Angrest, one of 20 surviving hostages who returned to Israel on October 13, 2025, was captured while defending the Nahal Oz base. (IDF spokesperson’s unit)
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In April 2025, while Angrest was still in Gaza, former hostage Ron Krivoi – who was released from captivity in November 2023 – spoke to Israel’s Channel 12 and said that according to Hamas, Angrest was being severely abused. The times of Israel.
“The interrogations he underwent took place while he was still on Israeli territory – that’s where it started. They already connected him to a car battery along the way and tried to revive him. Using car batteries, they electrocuted him,” Krivoi told Channel 12, according to The Times of Israel. ‘They couldn’t question him. He was probably not even able to speak because he was seriously injured. His injuries were very serious.”
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On Monday, all remaining living hostages returned to Israel. So far, Hamas has only handed over the remains of nine of the 28 deceased hostages the terrorist group is required to hand over under the terms of the ceasefire. Two of the deceased hostages whose remains are in Gaza are American citizens, Omer Neutra and Itay Chen. Chen was killed fighting alongside Angrest.
