UPDATE 1-QUOTES-Reactions to two-year anniversary of Hamas attack on Israel

(Adds Pope Leo ) Oct 7 (Reuters) – Tuesday marked the two-year anniversary of Palestinian militant group Hamas' attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. Following are reactions from around the world: POPE LEO: "Truly these have been two very painful years… We must reduce hatred, we must rediscover the capacity for dialogue, to seek peaceful solutions… We must always proclaim peace, respect for the dignity of all people." U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES: "Two years ago today, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched an abhorrent large-scale terror attack on Israel … Let us remember all those who were killed and suffered horrific violence. "I've said it time and again, and I am repeating it today with even greater urgency: Release the hostages, unconditionally and immediately… "The recent proposal by U.S. President Donald J. Trump presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end." U.N. AID CHIEF TOM FLETCHER: "I renew my call for the unconditional, immediate release of all the hostages – and until then, they must be treated humanely. Civilians everywhere have to be protected. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed. Hundreds of thousands endure starvation and displacement. "So we renew the call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, for all civilians to be protected, and for humanitarian aid to flow freely at the scale needed. There’s now a glimmer of hope that this can happen. We must keep it alive." EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN: "We will never forget the horror of the Hamas attacks on October 7 and the pain they caused to innocent victims, their families and the entire people of Israel, two years ago. "We honour their memory by working tirelessly for peace… This moment must be seized to pave the way for a lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution." FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: "Two years after the unspeakable horror of Hamas terrorism, the pain remains raw. We do not forget. "I reiterate France's call: the release of all hostages and a ceasefire must take place without delay." ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER GIORGIA MELONI: "Two years have passed since the ignominy of the massacre carried out by Hamas terrorists against thousands of defenceless and innocent Israeli civilians, including women and children. "Hamas' violence has triggered an unprecedented crisis in the Middle East. Israel’s military response has gone beyond any principle of proportionality, claiming too many innocent lives among Gaza’s civilian population. "We all have a duty to do everything within our power to ensure that this precious and fragile opportunity – the peace plan presented by President Trump – succeeds." BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER: "Today, we mark two years since the horrifying attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists… Time does not diminish the evil we saw that day. The worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. "Our priority in the Middle East remains the same – release the hostages. Surge aid into Gaza. And a ceasefire that can lead to a lasting and just peace as a step towards a two-state solution. A safe and secure Israel, alongside a viable Palestinian state." SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER ULF KRISTERSSON: "It has now been exactly two years since Hamas' horrific terrorist attack on … completely civilian Israelis – families, women, children and dancing youth. It was the worst mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. "Since then, Jews in Sweden have testified that they feel unsafe in their own country. My message is: There is no place for antisemitism in Sweden. Jews in Sweden should be able to proudly wear the Star of David, visit the synagogue and leave their children in Jewish schools. All Swedish Jews should know that we stand behind you." NORWEGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ESPEN BARTH EIDE: "Two years have passed since Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack against Israel and the Jewish people … My thoughts are with all those affected on that painful day, and with everyone still living with the deep trauma and lasting repercussions." STATEMENT BY HAMAS AND OTHER MILITANT GROUPS: "The choice of resistance by all means is the sole and only way to confront the Zionist enemy." ISRAEL'S HOSTAGES AND MISSING FAMILIES FORUM: "Two years ago…, our lives changed forever. Terrorists invaded our communities, parties, and bases, murdering, raping, injuring, and kidnapping hundreds of innocent people. Forty-eight of our loved ones are still there, held captive. "For us, and for the people of Israel who have taken to the streets week after week for two years, each of these 48 souls is a world unto themselves. Every single one of them must come home. The living need rehabilitation, and the deceased deserve burial in their homeland. "We are profoundly grateful to President Trump for his unwavering dedication and leadership. His deal gives us renewed hope that this nightmare may finally end and our loved ones will come home." MOHAMMED DIB, 49, GAZA RESIDENT: "It's been two years that we are living in fear, horror, displacement and destruction. We are hoping, with these new negotiations, to reach a ceasefire and a final end to the war." ZOHAR AVIGDORI, ISRAELI CITIZEN WHOSE SISTER AND NIECE WERE KIDNAPPED THEN RELEASED, AT A PROTEST: "There was a recommendation by the Hostages Families Forum for President Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. We think that as far as our opinion concerns anyone, Trump deserves to receive this prize for his efforts to bring home the hostages." ORIT BARON, ISRAELI WHOSE DAUGHTER YUVAL WAS KILLED WITH HER FIANCE MOSHE SHUVA, AT MUSIC FESTIVAL ATTACKED BY HAMAS: "They were supposed to get married on February 14, Valentine’s Day … They are buried next to each other because they were never separated. Nothing else can be complete because she's my heart and they took it from me. I can never be happy or complete ever again." (Reporting by Reuters bureaux; compiled by Andrew Cawthorne; editing by Sharon Singleton and Mark Heinrich)

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