Israelis mark one-year anniversary of Hamas attack with memorials

Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Thousands of Israelis are marking the one-year anniversary of last year's deadly attack by the militant group Hamas near the border with Gaza that saw around 1,200 people killed and over 200 taken hostage.

People congregated around memorials Saturday in Re'im in southern Israel near where the attack took place at the outdoor Nova music festival on Oct. 7.

Amid temperatures in the high 70s and with dust blowing continually, people on Saturday erected photos of loved ones killed or captured during the attack in Re'im. Friends and family members embraced while also continuing to call for a return of any remaining hostages.

Also Saturday , about 40,000 anti-Israel demonstrators marched through central London while thousands also gathered in Paris, Rome, Manila and Cape Town.

In Berlin, about 1,000 demonstrators, who bore Palestinian flags, chanted "One Year of Genocide," a phrase Israel disputes, saying it is defending itself. The demonstrators also criticized police violence against pro-Palestinian protesters.

The Israel Defense Forces is on high alert ahead of the anniversary , Israel, military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said.

"We are prepared with reinforced troops, based on the assumption that toward this date, attempted terror attacks will be carried out against the homefront," Hagari said.

The attack and kidnappings by Hamas led to the ongoing yearlong war between Israel and the militant group in Gaza. Some 41,000 people have so far been killed in the Palestinian enclave since the conflict began days after the attack, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

Officials believe Hamas is still holding around 95 people hostage in Gaza. That number includes the bodies of at least 33 people who already are confirmed dead by the Israel Defense Forces.

Cries from the public to r escue the remaining hostages have increased over the last year, putting pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to find a solution.

Meanwhile, fighting continues in Gaza and southern Lebanon against Hezbollah , as Israelis brace for an attack on Iran after their second barrage of missile a few days ago.

U.S. President Joe Biden has said he opposes a possible Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear sites urging Israel to take a more tempered response following Iran's missile attack.

On Saturday , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted his nation is fighting on seven fronts: Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza; Hezbollah in Lebanon; the Houthis in Yemen; Iran-backed militias in Iraq and also in Syria; Iranian efforts to arm Palestinian militants in the West Bank; and against Iran, which first attacked Israel in April and then again on Tuesday night.

Last week Iran fired over 200 ballistic missiles into Israel and is "behind this seven-front war against Israel," Netanyahu said.