People across the D.C. area are coming together to mark one year since Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 as hostages. Nearly 42,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's military campaign in Gaza launched after the attack.
In one striking display, a group of volunteers set up an empty Shabbat table, complete with place settings, candles, glasses, fruit – and signs with names of photos of the hostages still being held. The signs say “kidnapped” in large letters across the top.
A highchair sits in one spot to represent a 1-year-old baby who still hasn’t come home.
“The pictures shown on each chair represents, you know, an empty chair that they cannot sit either at the Shabbat table or any dinner or holidays,” Galya Gamliel, a volunteer with Empty Shabbat Table DC, said.
Gamliel is concerned that the hostages’ stories are getting lost. Around 100 people have not returned.
“They are missed in their families’ homes, you know, they should come back home and that's why we are here,” she said.
The group has been setting up an empty Shabbat table in D.C. every Friday since the Oct. 7 attacks a year ago.
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Vigils and demonstrations mark year since attack
Many commemorations in the D.C. area will focus on remembering the victims of the Oct. 7 attack, including a vigil and prayer for hostages at Lafayette Square and rally on the National Mall.
With tensions high, D.C. police said there are no known threats to the District, but they’re working with local, state and federal partners to ensure safety.
The University of Maryland initially banned student-run events on Oct. 7 after reports of threats, but those events will go on after Students for Justice in Palestine sued for the right to hold an interfaith vigil. Security has been added as a precaution.
One student told News4 that he bis glad students will be able to express themselves.
“There was previous protests and they've always been peaceful. No one's ever getting harmed or anything,” he said. “I feel like we're a peaceful school and I've always felt that way.”
On Saturday, hundreds gathered near the White House calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and opposing what they called a year of genocide. One demonstrator attempted to set himself on fire and was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
During a gathering at a home in Silver Spring on Sunday, Leila Levi remembered her cousin, a doctor who was killed in the attack after leaving the safety of a bomb shelter to help a kibbutz clinic.
“My preference certainly is that I would never have to talk about this, but I think it’s a Jewish custom to bear witness and we believe it is important to commemorate things annually,” Levi said.
