OSLO, 7 October 2025 – Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide has marked the second anniversary of Hamas’s 7 October 2023 terrorist attack on Israel, describing it as a “brutal assault” that continues to leave deep scars on survivors and families of the victims.
“Two years have passed since Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack against Israel and the Jewish people. On 7 October 2023, around 1,200 people – children, women and men, both young and elderly – were killed, and many more were injured and subjected to brutal abuse,” Eide said in a statement on Monday.
He recalled that 251 people were taken hostage and abducted to Gaza during the attack. “The remaining hostages have now endured 732 days in Hamas’ captivity under unbearable conditions. My thoughts are with all those affected on that painful day, and with everyone still living with the deep trauma and lasting repercussions,” he added.
The Norwegian Foreign Minister reiterated his country’s continued solidarity with the victims and called for the immediate release of the remaining hostages.
