'A very hard day': Jewish and Palestinian communities look ahead to Oct. 7 anniversary

A large pro-Palestinian rally was held on Oct. 5, 2024, ahead of the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. (Sean McClune/CTV News Edmonton)

Monday is the first anniversary of the Hamas attack in Israel that killed 1,200 people and sparked a war that has since spread beyond the borders of the Gaza Strip.

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In Edmonton, pro-Palestinian rallies have been held almost every weekend since last October.

On Saturday, the community gathered once more to march through downtown.

"Today we are marking one year of resistance, one year of genocide," organizer Fatima Saleh said.

Since Israel launched its war against Hamas, the Gaza Health Ministry reports nearly 42,000 Palestinians have been killed.

In response to ongoing human rights concerns, the Canadian government passed a motion to halt the authorization of weapons exports to Israel, though already-approved permits remained active. 

Saleh said that's not good enough.

"We want an arms embargo now," she said. "We want them to close the loopholes that they have not closed yet."

Salah said the rallies have been a way to demand change, but also to help educate people about Palestinian people and the history of the region.

Everyone is welcome to join, she added.

"There is not one dominant faith here. There is not one dominant ethnicity here. We are people of all walks of life … every single religion out here coming together as people of conscience, demanding an end to this genocide," Salah said.

In a case brought to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians – a claim Israel denies.

That case is expected to take years to settle. 

'A very hard day'

Members of Edmonton's Jewish community are also preparing to commemorate the anniversary with a ceremony on Monday at the Beth Israel Synagogue.

"We felt it really important to have our community gather together to show our solidarity with Israel and our strength in our Jewish community being together," Stacy Leavitt-Wright, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Edmonton, said.

Leavitt-Wright said there are many Israeli newcomers in Edmonton, as well as people with loved ones in the region. Some, she said, are feeling anxious about the milestone.

"There's a lot of emotion," she said. "There are a lot of deep ties and interconnections with people in Israel right now, and so for that reason, it really does not feel like this is over."

In addition to the killing of 1,200 people, 250 Israelis were taken hostage on Oct. 7.

More than 100 were freed during a November ceasefire, eight were rescued by Israeli forces, and three were mistakenly killed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) after escaping in December. 

As of September, Israel believed 101 remained in captivity, though 35 of them were believed to be dead.

While the event will be focused on the Jewish community, Leavitt-Wright said anyone wanting to show their support is welcome to join.

"It's going to be a very emotional day tomorrow, a very hard day," she said. "We do welcome people to stand with us while we're in the middle of that grief and healing."

With files from the Associated Press and The Canadian Press' Dylan Robertson