Legacy of 7 October looms large as a divided Israel goes to the polls in record numbers

Bereaved families tell voters to remember the victims while others have flown thousands of miles to cast their ballots Election day in Israel began with a protest by some of the voters with most at stake. Bereaved families of those killed in the 7 October attacks held a minute of silence at 6.29 am, the moment when Hamas launched its onslaught just over three years ago. They gathered in a Tel Aviv plaza that has become known as “hostages square” because it was the centre of demonstrations demanding the return of more than 200 captives from Gaza. Holding pictures of their loved ones, they…