TRENTON – Governor Murphy on Oct 4th, signed Executive Order No. 368, ordering U.S. and New Jersey flags to fly at half-staff on Monday, October 7, 2024 in recognition and in mourning of the lives lost during the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, those taken hostage, and the ongoing humanitarian suffering in Gaza and throughout the Middle East.

On October 7, 2023, as the Jewish community observed Shabbat and Simchat Torah, Hamas terrorists carried out a horrific attack on Israel, murdering nearly 1,200 civilians and abducting more than 240 people. One year later, more than 97 individuals, including at least six Americans and New Jersey's own Edan Alexander, remain hostage in Gaza. Israel continues to face significant threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iranian missile attacks.

The escalation of this conflict has also led to the loss of tens of thousands of innocent lives across Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, and the displacement of approximately 90% of the Gazan civilian population. Governor Murphy believes that protecting innocent civilians must remain central in efforts to deescalate the conflict and foster future stability.

New Jersey is the proud home to some of the largest Jewish, Israeli American, Muslim, Palestinian American, and Lebanese American communities in the United States.

“One year after the tragedies of October 7, 2023, we continue to mourn the devastating losses and urge all parties to reach an agreement that immediately returns every hostage and puts an end to the continued suffering of civilians in Israel, Gaza, and throughout the region,” said Governor Murphy. “Our hearts go out to the families that have been shattered by the terrorist attacks on October 7th and the humanitarian suffering that followed, and we continue to pray for a swift end to the war and restoration of peace across the region."

For a copy of Executive Order No. 368, click here