Israelis, scarred and battling on multiple fronts, mark a year since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack

RE'IM, Israel (AP) — Israelis were holding vigils and somber ceremonies on Monday to mark a year since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, the deadliest in the country’s history, which sparked the war in Gaza and scarred Israelis indelibly.

The surprise cross-border attack, which caught Israel unprepared on a major Jewish holiday, shattered Israelis’ sense of security and shook their faith in their leaders and their military.

Its aftershocks still ripple one year later. The war in Gaza rages on, Israel is fighting a new war against Hezbollah, which began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, and an escalating conflict with Iran — which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah — threatens to drag the region into a far more dangerous conflagration.

In Gaza, which is still buckling under the weight of the ongoing war, no formal commemorative event is planned. The massive destruction and displacement are a constant reminder of the retaliatory Israeli assault on the territory, which has no end in sight.

Israelis were expected to flock to ceremonies, cemeteries and memorial sites around the country, remembering the hundreds of victims, the dozens of hostages still in captivity and the soldiers wounded or killed trying to save them.

At 6:30 a.m. — the exact hour Hamas launched its attack — the families of those killed at the Nova music festival, joined by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, gathered at the site where almost 400 revelers were gunned down and from where many others were taken hostage. After briefly playing the same trance music that was blared during the festival, hundreds of family members and friends of the victims stood for a moment of silence. One woman’s piercing wail broke the silence as booms echoed from the fighting in Gaza, just a few kilometers away.

“When we are here, we are near our loved ones, this is the time they danced and fled,” said Sigal Bar-On, whose niece, Yuval Bar-On, 25, and her fiancée Moshe Shuva, 34, were supposed to get married in December 2023.

At 6:31 a.m., four projectiles were launched from Gaza toward the very Israeli communities that came under fierce assault last year, the Israeli military said. The ceremony was not disrupted.

At that same time, the families of hostages still held in Gaza — about 100, a third of whom are said to be dead — gathered near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence and stood during a two-minute siren, replicating a custom from the the most solemn dates on the Israeli calendar, Holocaust Remembrance and Memorial Day.

“We are here to remind (the hostages) that we haven’t forgotten them,” said Shiri Albag, whose daughter Liri is among the captives. Her message to Netanyahu: “We wont let you rest until all of them are back, every last one of them," she told the crowd, which hoisted the faces of the hostages.

An official state ceremony focusing on acts of bravery and hope is set to be aired on Monday evening. The ceremony was prerecorded without an audience — apparently to avoid potential disruptions — in the southern city of Ofakim, where over two dozen Israelis were killed.

But anger at the government’s failure to prevent the attack and enduring frustration that it has not returned the remaining hostages prompted the families of those killed and taken captive to hold a separate event in Tel Aviv.

That event had been set to draw tens of thousands of people but was scaled back drastically over prohibitions on large gatherings due to the threat of missile attacks from Iran and Hezbollah.

Hamas’ attack, which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and dragged some 250 into Gaza as hostages, continues to cast a shadow over daily life in Israel. Dozens of hostages remain in captivity, with no end in sight to their struggle. Border communities have been upended and tens of thousands were displaced. Soldiers are being killed in Gaza and Lebanon. Israel faces ongoing international criticism over its wartime conduct, with two world courts examining its actions.

The war in Gaza has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, displaced most of the territory's 2.3 million population and sparked a humanitarian crisis that has led to widespread hunger. It has also left the tiny coastal enclave ravaged beyond recognition as U.S.-led cease-fire efforts have repeatedly sputtered.

Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Follow AP's coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/mideast-wars

People visit the site of the Nova music festival, where hundreds of revelers were killed and abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza, on the one-year anniversary of the attack, near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

People visit the site of the Nova music festival, where hundreds of revelers were killed and abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza, on the one-year anniversary of the attack, near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Victoria stands in front a picture of her sister, Yulia Waxer Daunt, as she visits the site of the Nova music festival, where hundreds of revelers were killed and abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza, on the one-year anniversary of the attack, near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Victoria stands in front a picture of her sister, Yulia Waxer Daunt, as she visits the site of the Nova music festival, where hundreds of revelers were killed and abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza, on the one-year anniversary of the attack, near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

An attendant walks through a mural with portraits of the victims at the site of the Nova music festival, where hundreds of revelers were killed and abducted by Hamas and taken into Gaza, on the one-year anniversary of the attack, near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Families and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza wave photos of their loved ones and the Israeli and U.S. flags during a protest calling for their return, outside a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and families of hostages, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, March 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

People cross a bridge with the date 7.10, marking the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, in Ramat Gan, Israel, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

People light candles at a memorial for the victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas cross-border attack on Israel, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the attack, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

PALM DESERT, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James grew up without a father, and the top scorer in NBA history has often said he savors every moment and milestone he can experience with his own three children.

When he stepped onto a court Sunday night to play alongside his son, Bronny, for the Los Angeles Lakers, this moment was more than basketball history to him.

It was the realization of a family dream.

LeBron and Bronny became the first father and son to play in any NBA game together during the first half of the Lakers ' preseason contest against Phoenix, playing just over four minutes side-by-side in the second quarter.

“It’s pretty cool for the both of us, and especially for our family,” LeBron said. “It’s definitely a moment that I will never forget.”

The James family's remarkable moment coincidentally happened on Bronny’s 20th birthday, and it felt like a celebration for the 39-year-old LeBron, who has spoken about his desire for this opportunity since Bronny was in high school.

Although LeBron knows they'll get more chances to play together in the Lakers' upcoming season, the first time on court together in uniform felt “not real” to the four-time NBA champion and 20-time All-Star.

“For a father, it means everything,” LeBron said. “For someone who didn’t have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have that influence on your son, be able to have moments with your son — and the ultimate, to be able to work with your son — that’s one of the greatest things that a father could ever hope for or wish for.”

Bronny James entered the preseason game as a substitute to begin the second quarter, joining his father on court at Acrisure Arena in the Coachella Valley. Bronny was told by coach JJ Redick before the game that he would be playing alongside LeBron, but the rookie maintained his usual cool demeanor both before and after the moment.

“I was pretty psyched for that,” Bronny said.

Although he's much less vocal about the whole situation than LeBron, Bronny is still learning how to navigate an on-court relationship with his father, who has repeatedly insisted that his son can't call him “Dad” on the court.

“I’m always thinking about, ‘That’s my dad!’, because that’s literally my dad," Bronny said. "But when I’m playing, he’s just my teammate. That’s all.”

Their minutes together weren't as smooth as they'll be later in the season: Bronny committed two turnovers and LeBron made another in their first two minutes. Shortly after LeBron hit a 3-pointer moments later, LeBron got the ball to Bronny and set a screen for his son's 3-point attempt, but Bronny missed.

“I was really hoping that wing 3 would have gone in,” Redick said with a smile. “That would have been a cool moment. But they’ll have a lot of moments together, I’m sure.”

Bronny came off for a substitute 4:09 into the second quarter, and LeBron came off 25 seconds later at the next dead ball. LeBron had 19 points, five rebounds and four assists in 16 minutes during the first half, and he watched the Lakers' second half from the bench alongside Anthony Davis.

Bronny played about nine minutes in the second half, but didn’t score in the Lakers’ 118-114 loss to the Suns.

“I just told him, ‘Keep getting better,'” LeBron said. “He’s young. He wants to continue to improve, and that’s what’s most important. So every time you get a moment out there, just continue to make winning plays. Continue to learn from his mistakes and make winning plays.”

LeBron James is beginning his record-tying 22nd season in the NBA, while LeBron James Jr. — known to all as Bronny — was the Lakers’ second-round draft pick this summer. After recovering from cardiac arrest over a year ago, Bronny played just one season at Southern California before entering the draft.

Redick had vowed that the pairing would only happen “in the flow of the game,” and wouldn’t be “gimmicky.”

“I’m thrilled that I get to be a part of this, I really am,” Redick said. “It’s cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to LeBron’s longevity, but also his competitive stamina that he’s able to still be doing this in Year 22. It speaks to the work that Bronny has put in to get to this point, and really just the fatherly care, and certainly the motherly care from Savannah as well. Bronny, he’s such a great kid and a pleasure to be around.”

The 6-foot-2 Bronny is expected to spend much of the upcoming season working on his game with the South Bay Lakers of the G League, but he will almost certainly get to play alongside his 6-foot-9 father in a real game early in the regular season.

The games that count begin Oct. 22 at home against Minnesota.

Although LeBron will turn 40 in late December, the top scorer in NBA history has shown no sign of slowing down with age. LeBron sat out of the Lakers’ preseason opener against Minnesota last Friday night, resting up after a full week of training camp following a busy summer. Bronny had two points on 1-for-6 shooting and three blocked shots while playing 16 minutes against the Timberwolves.

LeBron was early in his second NBA season with the Cleveland Cavaliers when he and his high school sweetheart, Savannah Brinson, became parents for the first time in 2004. They had two more children — son Bryce and daughter Zhuri.

LeBron and Bronny have been preparing for the chance to play together ever since LeBron returned from a summer vacation after winning a gold medal with the U.S. team at the Paris Olympics.

The father and son have scrimmaged together repeatedly during workouts at the Lakers’ training complex, both as teammates and opponents.

In the regular season, they’ll join a short list of fathers and sons who have shared a playing field in North American professional sports. Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. played together with the Seattle Mariners during parts of the 1990 and 1991 MLB seasons, while hockey great Gordie Howe played with his sons Marty and Mark for the WHA’s Houston Aeros and the NHL’s Hartford Whalers.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Phoenix Suns guard Tyus Jones (21) dribbles under pressure from Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Palm Desert, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9), right, steps onto the court with Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Palm Desert, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)