On October 7, 2023, at 6:29 a.m., Israel was shaken by a surprise Hamas attack, plunging the nation into chaos. What was meant to be a festive Simchat Torah turned into a day of horror, with numerous deaths, injuries and kidnappings. Among the hostages, 101 are still held captive by Hamas. That day changed Israel forever.
The newsroom of Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth faced an unprecedented journalistic challenge, as reporters and editors worked around the clock to provide swift and accurate coverage of the unfolding events.
Little did they know, the tragedy would strike close to home, with the murder of their own photographer, Roy Edan, and his wife, Smadar. Their children, Michael and Amalia, hid for hours in a closet, while their daughter, Abigail, was kidnapped to Gaza and later released in the first hostage exchange.
For the past year, Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth have continuously covered the developments on the frontlines and home front, focusing on the victims, hostages, families and communities that were displaced. The news teams have faced professional challenges while maintaining journalistic ethics and sensitivity to the complex issues at hand.
To mark the anniversary, on Monday, October 7, 2024, Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth will host a special broadcast day, featuring live programs from the heart of the newsroom and key locations across Israel. The broadcast will include interviews with key figures and discussions on the pressing issues that have shaped the past year of conflict, which shows no signs of ending.
Highlights include Israel Prize laureate Ron Ben-Yishai, who has witnessed every Israeli war, reporting from Gaza and summarizing the year of war; leading commentators Nahum Barnea, Nadav Eyal and Ronen Bergman will discuss critical decisions and exclusive revelations in a special panel; military analyst Yossi Yehoshua will conduct a hard-hitting interview with a senior IDF official; journalist Hen Artzi Sror will have an emotional conversation with children who lost a parent in the war; photographer Ziv Koren will present his most powerful images and Avi Issacharoff will assess Hamas' condition and what comes next.
In the field, reporters will meet key figures in the north battling to defend the region, and survivors from the Nova music festival massacre, kibbutzim and southern cities will recount their harrowing experiences and ongoing recovery.
The program will also spotlight families of reservists, wounded heroes on the frontlines and the reconstruction of the damaged Alumim dairy farm, restored with the support of volunteers and the Dairy Farmers Fund by Tnuva.
Guests scheduled to appear include Yossi Shelley, Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office and head of the Recovery Directorate; regional council heads Yossi Keren, Alon Davidi and Tamir Idan; Metula council head David Azulai; Osem Nestlé CEO Avi Ben Assayag; Chaim Taib, president and founder of the Menomadin Foundation and Brigadier General (res.) Amir Avivi, chairman and founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum.
The special broadcast, hosted by Alexandra Lukash and Sharon Kidon, will air live on Ynet starting at 9:00 a.m. (Israel time) and will also be available in English here on Ynetnews.
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