Texas flies flags at half-mast in remembrance of Oct 7 victims

Governor Greg Abbott orders flags at state buildings to be lowered to mark the third anniversary of the October 7 invasion.

By World Israel News Staff

Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered US and Texas flags at state buildings lowered to half-staff Wednesday in remembrance of the victims of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, marking the third anniversary of the attack.

The flags are to remain at half-staff until sunset on October 7, with Abbott also encouraging private individuals, businesses, municipalities and other political subdivisions across Texas to participate.

“Three years ago, Hamas carried out a brutal terrorist attack on the State of Israel and murdered more than 1,200 men, women, and children,” Abbott said in announcing the order.

“Texas stands with Israel and with the Jewish community. We will always honor the lives lost that day.”

The observance continues a tradition Abbott established following the attack, which saw Hamas-led terrorists invade southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing approximately 1,200 people and abducting more than 250.

Texas has formally marked each anniversary of the massacre.

On the first anniversary in 2024, Abbott ordered US and Texas flags lowered and called for a statewide moment of silence at 7 a.m. He also asked religious leaders to light candles in memory of the victims.

“In observance of the one-year anniversary of the horrific October 7th terrorist attacks, 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,” Abbott said at the time.

“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 expanded the commemoration the following year, formally proclaiming October 7, 2025, a “Day of Observance for Israel” and again ordering flags lowered to half-staff.

Speaking at an October 7 memorial ceremony in Houston ahead of the second anniversary, Abbott said the massacre constituted “the deadliest attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”

“We pray every day that every hostage is returned to their families who have waited far too long,” he said.

Abbott has been among the most outspoken pro-Israel governors in the United States and traveled to Israel in November 2023, just weeks after the massacre.

During the visit, he met Israeli officials as well as people displaced by the attack and victims recovering in a Tel Aviv hospital.

Abbott later described what he witnessed as “sheer evil and savagery unmatched by anything I’ve ever seen.”

In the immediate aftermath of October 7, he directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to increase security at Jewish and Israel-related locations, including synagogues and schools, and ordered officials to coordinate with federal intelligence agencies over possible threats from Hamas and Hezbollah.

Texas also expedited more than $4 million in security grants to 31 Jewish organizations and barred state agencies from purchasing goods produced in or exported from the Gaza Strip or from entities linked to Hamas.

The state’s support for Israel predates the current war.

In 2017, Abbott signed legislation prohibiting Texas state agencies from contracting with certain companies that boycott Israel and restricting investment of public funds in companies participating in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

“Anti-Israel policies are anti-Texas policies, and we will not tolerate such actions against an important ally,” Abbott said when signing the legislation.

The governor has also taken a series of measures aimed at combating antisemitism in Texas, including directing universities to strengthen enforcement of policies addressing antisemitic activity and providing millions of dollars in security funding for houses of worship.

Wednesday’s flag order comes as memorial ceremonies are being held in Israel and Jewish communities around the world for the third anniversary of October 7.

In Israel, ceremonies and gatherings are being held at communities devastated during the attack, the site of the Nova music festival massacre and other locations across the country.

In Texas, Abbott’s order places the state’s official commemoration at government buildings across one of the largest states in the US.

“Texas stands with Israel and with the Jewish community,” Abbott said. “We will always honor the lives lost that day.”

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