Israeli television marks three years since October 7 massacre

Three years after the October 7 Hamas attack, Israeli television is airing a wide range of new documentaries and programs that differ markedly from the early, evidence-preserving films. The new programming follows survivors, bereaved families, and displaced communities over time, examining life after the attack rather than just the event itself.

Three years after the Hamas attack on October 7, Israeli television is returning to the events of that day with an unusually wide range of documentaries, special broadcasts, interviews, and memorial projects. What is most striking about much of the new programming is how different it feels from the documentaries made in the first months after the attack. Those early films were compiled at breakneck speed using cellphone footage, security-camera recordings, and interviews to establish what happened and preserve evidence. Now, three years later, filmmakers have had time to follow survivors, bereaved families, soldiers, released hostages, and displaced communities as they try to rebuild their lives. KAN's anniversary programming includes 'The Shift' about Soroka Medical Center, 'After They Returned' about families after hostages come home, and 'Taboo' with four former hostages. HOT 8 features 'Saved by the Ball' about the Kfar Aza Foxes soccer team, 'Whose Are You?' about women from the kibbutz, and 'You Don't Bury a Soul' about bereaved parents traveling through India. The article reports on the programming lineup without evaluative framing.