A Painful Milestone

Balloons and Beach Tribute: Israel marks 600 days since October 7th | WATCH

In the quiet sky above Nahal Oz, 600 balloons drifted upward, each one a silent cry for justice, memory, and the return of those still lost.

Gila Isaacson

05/28/2025, 14:27

1 min read

Visitors at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on May 28, 2025. — Photo by Miriam Alster/FLASH90

Today marks 600 days since the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre that left over 1,200 Israelis dead and launched an ongoing war still gripping the nation. Across the country, memorials and calls for the return of the hostages echoed with renewed urgency.

In the southern community of Nahal Oz, one of the hardest hit on that black day, residents released 600 balloons into the sky, symbolizing each day the hostages have been held in Hamas captivity.