TRENTON, N.J. — Governor Phil Murphy has ordered U.S. and New Jersey flags to be flown at half-staff on Monday, October 7, 2024, to honor the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and to recognize the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
The executive order comes in remembrance of the October 7, 2023, attack, in which Hamas militants killed nearly 1,200 civilians in Israel and abducted more than 240 people during the Jewish observance of Shabbat and Simchat Torah. A year later, more than 97 hostages, including six Americans and a New Jersey resident, Edan Alexander, remain held in Gaza.
Governor Murphy’s Executive Order No. 368 also acknowledges the extensive civilian toll from the conflict. Tens of thousands of lives have been lost across Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, while around 90% of Gaza’s civilian population has been displaced.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas, the militant group governing Gaza, launched an unprecedented and coordinated attack on Israel, marking the beginning of the most significant escalation of violence in the region in decades. The assault occurred during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, catching Israel off guard. Hamas militants infiltrated southern Israel from Gaza, targeting towns, military bases, and a music festival, killing nearly 1,200 people, the majority of them civilians. In addition, over 240 people, including Israelis, foreign nationals, and dual citizens, were taken hostage and brought back to Gaza. This attack was the deadliest in Israel’s history and shocked the country and the international community.
In response, Israel declared a state of war and launched a large-scale military operation against Hamas in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out extensive airstrikes, targeting Hamas infrastructure, weapons depots, and command centers. Israel also imposed a full blockade on Gaza, cutting off essential supplies, including food, water, fuel, and electricity. The IDF prepared for a potential ground invasion, with troops massing along the Gaza border. As the conflict escalated, the humanitarian situation in Gaza rapidly deteriorated, with thousands of civilians killed and millions displaced within the densely populated enclave. Gaza’s health system, already strained, struggled to cope with the influx of casualties, and international aid efforts were severely hampered.
The conflict quickly spread beyond Gaza. In the north, Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon, began launching rocket attacks on Israel, prompting Israeli retaliatory strikes. The fighting raised concerns of a broader regional war, drawing in actors such as Iran, which has long supported Hamas and Hezbollah. Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, faced ongoing rocket barrages, while Gaza endured relentless bombing.
The international community, led by the United States and the European Union, called for a ceasefire and pushed for humanitarian aid corridors to be opened to alleviate the suffering in Gaza.
However, diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting were complicated by the intractable positions of both sides. Israel vowed to dismantle Hamas, while Hamas and other Palestinian factions called for resistance against Israeli occupation. The conflict has continued, with no resolution in sight, deepening the suffering on both sides and fueling concerns about the long-term stability of the region.
Rocket attacks from Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, Iran, and Yemen continue to terrorize the civilian population in Israel the small country continues to defend itself against the terrorist regimes.
“One year after the tragedies of October 7, 2023, we continue to mourn the devastating losses and urge all parties to reach an agreement that immediately returns every hostage and puts an end to the continued suffering of civilians in Israel, Gaza, and throughout the region,” Murphy said in a statement.
New Jersey is home to large Jewish, Israeli American, Muslim, Palestinian American, and Lebanese American communities. Governor Murphy emphasized the need to protect civilians and called for peace in the region.
