Full Breakdown
Survivors Speak at UN Commemoration of Oct 7 Attack, U.S. and Israeli Ambassadors Respond
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: UN Ceremony Highlights Survivor Testimony and Diplomatic Reactions
Three years after the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas assault that killed roughly 1,200 civilians and abducted 251 people, the United Nations held a commemoration in New York. Former hostage Eliya Cohen and his wife Ziv Abud, a Nova Music Festival survivor, addressed diplomats. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz met privately with the couple before the ceremony and later spoke from the stage. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon used the platform to criticize the UN’s handling of Israel’s narrative.
Background & Context
The Oct 7 attack is described by officials as Israel’s deadliest single day since the Holocaust. Hamas militants entered southern Israel, stormed the Nova Music Festival and took hostages. Survivors later recounted conditions of extreme deprivation, constant illumination, and threats of propaganda recordings.
Data & Statistics
- 505 days: Length of Cohen’s captivity before release.
- 251: Total number of people abducted during the Oct 7 assault.
- 1,200: Approximate civilian death toll on that day.
- 29: Number of people crowded into a roadside bomb shelter meant for eight, as described by Abud.
Official Statements & Responses
U.S. Ambassador Waltz referenced President Trump’s 20-point peace plan and a UN resolution establishing an International Stabilization Force as steps toward regional stability.
Israeli Ambassador Danon accused the United Nations of “demonizing and isolating Israel,” noting his daughter serves in the IDF and his son, an officer, was released from a base near Gaza on Oct 7. Both ambassadors framed the ceremony as a moment to honor victims while urging the international community to recognize Israel’s security concerns and to support forthcoming diplomatic initiatives.
Verbatim Quotes
- “They chained me with heavy iron chains by my leg,” — Eliya Cohen
- “He held firm.” — Mike Waltz
- “Even in this building, the U.N. is trying to demonize and isolate Israel,” — Danny Danon
On-the-Ground Reports: Survivor Accounts
Cohen described being denied basic needs, chained by the leg, and kept awake by constant lights. Abud recounted waking to a pile of bodies and spending seven hours among them, becoming the sole survivor from her family unit. Oriya Berlin, who was at a border base when the attack began, recalled hearing “thousands of missiles” and fleeing barefoot into a shelter, later refusing to leave military service to continue speaking about the conflict.
Why It Matters
The ceremony shows how personal trauma is being leveraged in diplomatic discourse. Survivor testimonies provide stark evidence of Hamas-inflicted abuse, while U.S. and Israeli officials use the platform to justify policy proposals, including a stabilization force and a peace plan, and to challenge perceived UN bias. The event illustrates the intertwining of individual suffering with broader geopolitical strategies aimed at reshaping regional security dynamics.