Memorials and vigils are planned in houses of worship around Germany on Monday to mark the anniversary of the October 7 attacks on Israel by the Islamist militia Hamas and other extremists.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to attend an interfaith service at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, where he will also speak.

Afterwards, participants will walk in silence to the nearby Jewish Community Centre.

An additional memorial event will then take place in front of the building.

In Hamburg, a memorial ceremony is planned for Monday evening at the Hohe Weide Synagogue, where Chancellor Olaf Scholz will also make a statement.

The president of the Israeli community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, Charlotte Knobloch, Bavarian Premier Markus Söder, and Catholic Archbishop Cardinal Reinhard, are expected to attend a memorial service at the Ohel Jakob Synagogue in Munich.

Memorial services are also planned in many other cities.

At the same time, many people are planning to gather in several cities for pro-Palestinian rallies.

On October 7, 2023, terrorists from the radical Islamist group Hamas and other groups killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, took about 250 more hostage and abducted them to the Gaza Strip.

This triggered the Gaza War, which continues to this day. 

(dpa/NAN)