Hoyer Statement Marking Three Years Since the October 7th Attack on Israel

October 7, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement marking three years since Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023: “As Israel and Jewish communities around the world mark the somber anniversary of the 10/7 attacks, I join in mourning those lost, grieving with families whose pain remains fresh, and extending my prayers to those trying to rebuild their lives in freedom after being rescued from captivity.  Spending time with hostages’ families while they were still held in Gaza, I saw firsthand the pain they suffered. No family should ever have to experience what they went through. I remain awed by the resolve I witnessed in them as we worked to secure their loved-ones’ release. “Three years ago, the world witnessed the brutality and inhumanity of Hamas terror in disturbing detail. The 10/7 attacks were not only the worst massacre committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. They were also a reminder of what can happen when vile hatreds are allowed to fester unchecked, taught to schoolchildren and celebrated instead of expunged from society. The events of that day made it clear that the likes of Hamas can never again be allowed to rule over a population. The innocent people of Gaza must be freed from Hamas terror, just as Israelis must be able to live without the constant threat of another 10/7. “Make no mistake: 10/7/23 was a day of murder, of sexual violence, of destruction, and of the kidnapping of innocents of all ages. It was a day when attempted genocide met heroic resistance, as Israelis fought bravely to protect their homes and their children against a vicious attempt to erase the Jewish people from their ancestral homeland through violence. Anyone who questions or denies the truth of that day must reckon with the overwhelming evidence of Hamas’s brutality against civilians, which can never be justified. “I will continue to stand with the people of Israel against hatred and terror, against isolation and disinformation. I will continue to stand up for the Zionist ideal of a safe and secure Israel living at peace with its neighbors and safeguarding the equal rights of all its citizens through a flourishing democracy. That is what Israelis have strived for over decades, what Jews worldwide have prayed for over centuries, and what all who cherish freedom and justice ought to defend now. “May the memory of all who were lost on 10/7 and in the three years since be a comfort and a blessing to Israel and to us all as we work for the better future we know is still possible.