Tri-State Area families mark 3 years since deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attacks

Families across the Tri-State Area and around the world are remembering loved ones killed three years after Hamas launched attacks on southern Israel. 

More than 1,200 people were killed during the deadliest single-day attack in Israeli history. Families gathered at intersections, bomb shelters and at a music festival site in Israel to mourn.

For residents in the New York and New Jersey area, the years since have been a relentless fight for their loved ones.

Staff sergeant Itay Chen, whose family has ties to Brooklyn, was killed defending the Gaza border at 19 years old. 

Long Island native Omer Neutra was killed while serving as a tank platoon commander at the time of the attacks.

Both men's remains have since been returned by Hamas.

Amid the heartbreak, there has also been hope.   

Edan Alexander, from New Jersey, was abducted from his base during the attacks.

He survived 584 days in captivity until his release in May 2025, where the town of Tenafly welcomed him home. Later, a street was renamed in his honor.

For Palestinians, Israel's retaliatory offensive has devastated Gaza, displaced around 90% of its population, and killed tens of thousands of people.

Israel's military still holds more than half the territory, and despite a ceasefire reached nearly a year ago, strikes continue almost daily.

The rising death toll has fueled protests in New York, from college encampments to marches.

Demonstrations, organized by celebrities and activists, have repeatedly shut down streets in Manhattan and across the country.

The ongoing war also ignited a feud between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It took root on the campaign trail, when Mamdani pledged to honor an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes.

Their conflict escalated in September at the U.N. General Assembly, with Netanyahu condemning Mamdani, but the mayor refused to back down from his criticism.

Israel's Consul General in New York has invited the mayor to attend a screening documenting the Oct. 7 attacks. While Mamdani has not responded to that invitation, he will be attending a vigil in remembrance of the victims at 7 p.m. Wednesday. After, he plans to meet with Palestinian New Yorkers.