Prime Minister's statement on first anniversary of October 7 attack

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemns Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel that occurred on October 7, 2023.

Transcript

00:00On the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks, we pause to reflect on the horrific

00:06terrorist atrocity that reverberated around the globe. October 7 is a day that carries terrible

00:13pain. Over 1,200 Jews died more than on any single day since the Holocaust. We unequivocally condemn

00:21Hamas's actions on that day. Innocent lives taken at a music festival. Women, men and children killed

00:29in their homes. Brutality that was inflicted with cold calculation. Today we also think of those

00:36hostages whose lives remain suspended in the fear and isolation of captivity. For their loved ones,

00:43this past year must have felt like an eternity. The agony of waiting and not knowing, or of having

00:49the terrible truth confirmed. Since the atrocities of October 7, Jewish Australians have felt the

00:56cold shadows of anti-Semitism breaching into the present day. And as a nation we say,

01:03never again. We unequivocally condemn all prejudice and hatred. There is no place in

01:09Australia for discrimination against people of any faith. As we mourn and reflect, we also reaffirm

01:16a fundamental principle of our shared humanity. Every innocent life matters. Sorrow knows no

01:23boundaries and recognises no differences. The number of civilians who have lost their

01:28lives is a devastating tragedy. Today we reflect on the truth of our shared humanity,

01:35of the hope that peace is possible, and the belief that it belongs to all people.