Texas Plans Moment of Silence and Flag Lowering to Memorialize Oct. 7 Massacre

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced plans to hold a state-wide moment of silence at 7 a.m. on October 7 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the deadly Hamas invasion of southern Israel. In addition, both state and U.S. flags will be flown at half-staff across Texas to honor the memory of those killed and injured during the attack.

“I ask all Texans to join me in a moment of silence to remember the men, women, and children who were brutally murdered or injured during acts of war committed by Hamas, and for the seven Americans still held hostage,” Abbott said in a statement.

The governor, a strong supporter of Israel, reaffirmed Texas’s solidarity with the Jewish state. “Texas will always stand with the State of Israel and the Israeli people as they continue to defend their freedoms in the face of pure evil,” Abbott said. “Cecilia and I continue to pray that this war will be brought to a swift, victorious conclusion for the Jewish community and the State of Israel.”

Abbott also recalled the harrowing scenes he witnessed during his visit to Israel in November, shortly after the attack. “Meeting with displaced Israelis, including many families, and visiting with victims recovering in a hospital in Tel Aviv, it was sheer evil and savagery unmatched by anything I’ve ever seen,” he stated.

“The State of Israel is right and, moreover, righteous in pursuing the elimination of Hamas, and the State of Texas will do everything in our power to support the Jewish people here in Texas and in their defense of their homeland,” Abbott added.

As Texas prepares to honor the victims of the massacre, the state remains a staunch ally of Israel, reflecting the broader U.S. commitment to standing with the Jewish state in its fight against terrorism.

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