On Third Anniversary of October 7, Mattarella Condemns Terrorism and Antisemitism and Speaks of the Devastation in Gaza
On 7 October 2026, President Sergio Mattarella issued a statement in Rome marking the third anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel of 7 October 2023. Mattarella called the attack on numerous Israeli civilians 'ignobile' — ignoble: many young people, including nationals of other countries, were struck down, taken hostage or killed while gathered for a festival, and others were killed or abducted in their homes, with no mercy shown to children or the elderly.
Mattarella said acts of terrorism could never be justified or filed away, and would remain a painful warning to all peoples: terrorism, antisemitism and every form of hatred based on ethnicity or religion must be firmly condemned and rejected, in the Middle East and throughout the world. In the same statement he spoke of the human and material devastation caused by Israeli military operations in Gaza as being of intolerable gravity, called for the spiral of violence to be stopped, and pointed to the 'two peoples, two states' perspective as the political horizon. He said Italy would continue to support every effort toward that goal, and renewed his closeness to the people of Israel, to the families of the victims and to those who still bear the wounds of that day.
About 1,200 people were killed in the 7 October 2023 attack and about 250 were taken hostage. The 2026 anniversary was the first October 7 on which no Israeli hostages were still being held in Gaza.
Inside Italy, the day was marked by commemorations and demonstrations. In Milan a flash mob laid out 1,200 white roses; in Bologna and other cities, pro-Palestinian events took place on the same day as the commemorations. Ahead of 7 October, the Interior Ministry convened the national committee for public order and security, chaired by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, with police and intelligence chiefs to assess the situation; the ministry said there were no specific alerts, but security arrangements were further reinforced nationwide, and some cities placed restrictions on marches.
Sources: Statement of the President of the Republic (Quirinal), 7 October 2026, carried the same day by ANSA, Italpress and Adnkronos; Il Sole 24 Ore reporting on the Interior Ministry security meeting (via VentidiNews); Zerosette national roundup, 8 October 2026.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 罗马奎里纳尔广场，意大利总统府所在地。摄影：Franco Vannini，CC BY 2.0，来源：Wikimedia Commons（Piazza del Quirinale (28446265559).jpg）
