Brussels – The European Parliament’s plenary session paid tribute to the 1,195 victims and 251 hostages of the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023, welcoming Omri Miran, who was abducted on that day and held hostage by the terrorist group for 738 days. “Today marks three years since the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on 7 October 2023. Nearly 1,200 people were killed, and 251 were taken hostage. I therefore ask you to join me in welcoming Omri Miran to the Chamber, who was taken hostage and spent 738 days in captivity. He is here with us today,” said the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, addressing the plenary before the voting session. “Dear Omri, thank you for being with us today. I am aware of your story of courage and resilience, and you have seen the recognition this Chamber has shown you,” she added. Omri Miran, an Israeli-Hungarian citizen, was captured by Hamas during the attacks on 7 October and released on 13 October 2025: the House gave him a round of applause and a standing ovation.
In a post on X, this morning, Metsola said that “The European Parliament remembers the victims of that day of horror as we recommit to ending terrorism, finding a path to peace and redoubling our efforts to stamp out the ancient evil of antisemitism.” The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, recalled on social media that “the EU stands with all those whose lives were forever changed by that day,” and that “the unspeakable savagery and terror of 7 October must never happen again.” Furthermore, “the EU remains ready to help turn today’s fragile ceasefire into a durable peace, based on a two-state solution.
And remains equally convinced that nothing justifies terror.”
“We must firmly reject all forms of antisemitism across Europe” because “Jewish communities must be able to live openly, safely and without fear,” the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, pointed out. “Hamas brought unspeakable suffering to the Israeli people and left devastation in its wake. Hamas must disarm so that the Gaza Peace Plan to move forward,” she added. “We pay tribute to the Israeli and foreign citizens massacred that day and stand with their families and loved ones. We also remember the injured and those taken hostage,” said the President of the European Council, António Costa. “We will never forget. Nothing can justify such terror, and it must never happen again,” he continued. “The EU will always defend Israel’s right to exist in peace and security. The two-State solution remains the only viable path to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” he concluded.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
