Vigils held in Halifax remembering lives lost one year after Hamas-Israel war began

Hundreds of people gathered at the Beth Israel Synagogue in Halifax Monday evening to mark the one-year anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Israel.

During the ceremony, candles were lit, and a moment of silence was observed.

"The reverberations have cascaded over to Nova Scotia and tonight is about solidarity with the hostages still in Gaza and our community as a whole to show that we are together," said Mark David, president of the Atlantic Jewish Council.

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"We hope for peace and we are here to seek comfort in community."

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and other officials were at the synagogue memorial to show their support.

The attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and saw about 250 more abducted and held as hostages.

Around 100 of the hostages, a third of whom are believed to be dead, have not been returned.

The attack triggered a retaliatory Israeli offensive in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip that the territory's health ministry says has left more than 41,000 Palestinians dead.

Another group also gathered on the Halifax waterfront Monday evening for a vigil mourning the lives of thousands of Palestinians who lost their lives.

Hundreds of people attended the waterfront vigil, which shared some of the individual stories of people who have died.

Organizers say it's important to remember those who are no longer with us.

"We're currently in 2024. There should be no wars happening anywhere in the world. The amount of innocent lives that have been taken is outrageous," said Ibrahim Manna, one of the organizers for the waterfront vigil.

"As a Palestinian, we do want the peace there. The intention is not about the war... People want to have the rights to live freely just like everywhere else in the world."

Hundreds of people gathered on the Halifax waterfront on Oct. 7, 2024.

For the past year, the Hamas attack and the ensuing war have been at the heart of widespread protests, university encampments, and a spike in reports of hate crimes against Jews and Muslims.

'I feel torn apart'

For Ron Omessi, the anniversary of Oct. 7 brings a familiar sense of dread.

Omessi, who lives in the Halifax-area, wakes up each day and checks his phone to make sure his family and friends in Israel are safe.

“I feel torn apart,” said Omessi. “Some voice [inside] tells me that’s my family, that’s my friends, and that’s the country I was born in and it’s under attack and I should go there and help. It’s a feeling that goes with me on a daily basis.”

While Omessi’s wife and kids live in Canada, his siblings and their family are still in Israel. He said childhood friends and family all know of someone who was killed by Hamas.

“My friend from 20 to 30 years, I saw her post on Facebook that she lost her daughter-in-law. She was a young girl from Haifa, she was an artist and she went to the music festival and was murdered,” said Omessi.

“My sister’s friend and her family were murdered. They were hiding in the shelter room [and] the terrorist tried to open the door. They shot at the door, but it’s a massive steel door. When they didn’t succeed, they burned the house and all of them got killed. They were burned alive.”

Ron Omessi is pictured on Oct. 7, 2024. (CTV Atlantic/ Hafsa Arif)

Months later, horrified by what had happened, Omessi decided he could not watch from afar anymore. He packed his bags and flew to Israel to volunteer.

“For Israeli’s who live abroad, to see what’s going on in Israel, it’s heartbreaking. It’s very tough. So, I decided I want to go to volunteer.”

During his time there, he helped local farmers and provided meals on military bases.

Omessi described feeling “awkward” during his time there.

“I was travelling to Golan Heights, for example, and the next day there was a siren and a few rockets. I say it’s awkward because on the next day, I went to Tel Aviv and I went to a concert of one of the Israeli singer's that I like and the coffees and bars were open and full and you’d still see it today,” explained Omessi.

“The people are so used to the tough reality that, you know, maybe it’s a good sign, but they don’t stop life. Life continues.”

However, Omessi said the people living on the Gaza envelop are in a much tougher situation.

While Omessi has been back in Halifax for quite some time now, he finds it easier speaking about the politics and complexities of the region, rather than the emotional toll.

“People here won’t understand what it would mean to sit in your home, look at the window and see rockets coming from outside, so there is some numbness to the situation.”

With files from The Canadian Press