A large screen at the front of the crowd displayed on a loop, for a few seconds each, the images of each person murdered on October 7. It took just under an hour to show all the photos – of men and women, many in their 20s, others at the age when they should have been enjoying their retirement; some of the faces were of children; others were of entire families, wiped out in a matter of seconds.

On stage, Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, led tens of thousands of attendees in impassioned chanting of “Bring them home!” as he called for the release of the 101 hostages still held hostage in Gaza, and “Am Yisrael Chai!”

He drew comparisons between the attack on the Nova music festival on October 7, the 7/7 attack in London and the Manchester arena bombing, in which 22 people were killed, saying: “Terror is terror, and we must confront it together and stand together as we do today.”

The memorial event in London to mark the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks (Photo: Gary Manhine)

“I know that this has been an incredibly tough year, but we, the Jewish people, have resilience in our DNA, and I know we are determined to come back stronger.”

Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely said Israel and her people had, over the past 12 months, demonstrated to the world their “strength and resilience”.

She said: “Israel today is stronger than ever, and the Israeli people are stronger than ever, and we are here united with the Jewish people here in London in Hyde Park to say to our enemies: ‘Every time you want to defeat us, we become stronger. Every time you want to divide us, we become more united.’ We will always prevail over our enemies, and we will see the 101 hostages coming back home because we will never forget them.”

Mandy Damari, the mother of 28-year-old British Israeli hostage Emily Damari, who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and is still being held in Gaza, spoke publicly for the first time about her daughter.

Mandy Damari implores the UK government to do more to bring her British-Israeli daughter, Emily Damari, held hostage in Gaza for a year, home (Photo: Gary Manhine)

“Soon, there will be nothing left of my heart, or Emily,” she said. “Diplomatic pressure, negotiations, humanitarian efforts, whatever it takes, we cannot let another day pass. We cannot afford to lose any more lives to this nightmare. We don’t need tea and sympathy; we need actions, not words.”

Mandy castigated the British government for not doing more to bring about the safe return of her daughter, a British national, and implored leaders to do more.

Earlier this week, Mandy travelled to Downing Street and handed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer a note for her daughter, requesting that he do everything in his power to get it to her.

Leading proceedings was actress Tracy-Ann Oberman, who has been a long-time campaigner against antisemitism.

Speaking to the JC, she said that today was “about memorial, it's about not forgetting. We’re living in a world where people seem to have forgotten what happened on October 7, and people have seem to have forgotten the brutality of the massacre.”

Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman led proceedings (Photo: Gary Manhine)

Asked what her overriding memories of the past year were, she said: The silence by people that I thought were friends and allies – work colleagues, neighbours who never said a word – their silence was painful. But I will take the incredible support by a lot of people, we have a lot of amazing allies.

She urged the Jewish community to “not lose our humanity as a people”, adding: “We must not lose our humanity, not just for ourselves but for all.”

Thousands and thousands of people attended the memorial rally in London's Hyde Park on the eve of the first anniversary of the Hamas terrorist atrocities of October 7 (Photo: Gary Manhine)

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Progressive Judaism co-leaders Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy each spoke and led attendees in prayer.

Barak Deri, one of the first soldiers to arrive at Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, also addressed the crowds, sharing his heartbreaking decision that day between whether to fight at the kibbutz or attempt to rescue his brother, who had been injured by terrorists at the Nova Festival.

Twenty-three candles were lit on stage, each representing a different community in Israel attacked by Hamas on October 7. They were lit by community and religious leaders, including S&P Sephardi community Senior Rabbi Joseph Dweck, Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, senior rabbi of Masorti Judaism, UJS President Sami Berkoff, Holocaust survivor Mala Tribich MBE, and survivors of the Nova music festival.

Released hostage Ada Sagi,with her son Noam Sagi, breaks down on stage at the London event to mark the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks (Photo: Gary Manhine)

Also lighting a candle was Ada Sagi, 75, one of the hostages, who was released after 53 days in captivity. Greeted by rapturous applause, Ada broke down in tears as she came onto the stage with her UK-based son Noam.

Attendees also heard from Keith Black, chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, and Henry Grunwald OBE KC, former president of the Board of Deputies and chair of the event’s organising committee, UJIA chair Zvi Noé, as well as historian Sir Simon Schama, who read three poems written by Israeli poets.

A minute’s silence was observed, and attendees sang the national anthem and the Hatikvah.

Today’s rally was organised by the Board of Deputies, the Jewish Leadership Council, 7/10 Human Chain, The Hostages and Missing Families Forum UK, UJIA and the Jewish Agency for Israel.

Events were also held in Manchester and Leeds.