Mamdani marks Oct. 7 anniversary with statement on Hamas attack and Gaza, vigil and meeting

Right · 2New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a statement on the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks in which he called Hamas's actions "horrific war crimes" and said "the suffering did not begin nor end that day." 1 2 Right · 2He said Hamas killed more than 1,100 Israelis and abducted 251 others, and that he grieved "alongside our many friends and neighbors who still carry that unthinkable loss." The Jerusalem Post noted that official Israeli figures put the death toll at over 1,200. 1 2 Mixed · 2Mamdani said the suffering continued through what he called the Israeli government's "devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza," which he said had killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, including more than 21,000 children. 1 3

Mixed · 2According to the Jerusalem Post's account of the statement, he also said more than 1,400 Palestinians had been killed since the ceasefire. He said New Yorkers' "tax dollars fund these war crimes," urged people to reject "a world in which occupation and apartheid continue," and criticised the federal government's "complicity with every arms shipment." 2 3 Centre · 1The Media Line noted that the figures Mamdani cited for Gaza come from the Hamas-run health ministry and have not been independently verified, and said the Israel Defense Forces says it targets Hamas members and infrastructure and that Hamas embeds itself in civilian areas. 4 Right · 1JNS reported that Mamdani's official schedule listed a 7 p.m. "vigil in remembrance of Oct. 7" followed by a 9 p.m. meeting with "Palestinian New Yorkers." 5

Centre · 1Anadolu Agency, citing Gaza's Health Ministry, reported that Israel has continued attacks since a ceasefire took effect in October 2025, killing more than 1,400 Palestinians. 3 Right · 1The Washington Examiner reported that Mamdani's schedule included the NYC Fire Department's annual memorial ceremony, interviews on Univision and NY1, an Oct. 7 remembrance vigil, and a meeting with Palestinian New Yorkers. 6 Right · 1Some socialist groups criticised City Hall's response: three Young Democratic Socialists of America chapters had promoted a City Hall protest, and the NYC and City College chapters later removed themselves from the post. The groups accused Mamdani of capitulating to "zionist pressure." 6

Right · 1Israel's consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, invited Mamdani to watch a film documenting Hamas's attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the UN on Sept. 24 that "Israel didn't commit genocide" and accused Mamdani of aligning with Hamas. 6 Right · 1The Examiner also noted that Mamdani has faced accusations of antisemitism from opponents, while his office announced a plan last month to combat hate crimes including antisemitic acts. 6 Right · 1Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon told JNS the statement was "an attempt to hijack the anniversary of Oct. 7 and turn it into yet another propaganda attack against Israel," comparing it to "turning Sept. 11 into a day of mourning for al-Qaeda terrorists." 5

Right · 1JNS also quoted criticism from the Anti-Defamation League's Jonathan Greenblatt, who noted the word "Jew" was absent from the statement, as well as from AIPAC, the Republican Jewish Coalition, the Israeli-American Council, Rabbi Marc Schneier and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The Israeli-American Council called the genocide claim "demonstrably false." 5 Mixed · 2JNS said it was unclear why Mamdani said "more than 1,100" were killed when others cite more than 1,200, while the Media Line gave a toll of 1,219 and said official tallies are generally about 1,200. 5 4