Prayer held at San Jacinto Plaza to honor victims of Hamas attacks

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – Wednesday, Republicans in support of Israel gathered for prayer at San Jacinto Plaza to honor the third anniversary of Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.

In those attacks, 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

"We remember the families lives were changed forever. We remember the survivors who carry physically, but each of them was not a number. Each of them was a human being. Each had a name. Each had someone who loved. Each had someone who expected them to be home," said El Paso County Republican Party board member Bob Peña.

The group set up the Israeli flag surrounding the stage at the plaza. One boy blew a horn -- called a shofar -- before the group stood in silence for 30 seconds to honor their loss.

"The little boy who was doing the shofar, his father died in Israel...and defending Israel. And so it affects everybody all over here, families here in El Paso," Peña said.

Peña said before the event started, people came and accosted the children who put up Israeli flags.

Peña's message was for people to open their minds, hearts and learn as much information as they can about what's going on.

For Jesse Rocha Romero, who attends Torah study at a synagogue, the violence in Israel reminded him of what El Pasoans experienced seven years ago with the El Paso Walmart shooting.

"When the people were murdered at Walmart, the guy planned it. He came from Dallas over here to say, 'I'm going to go kill,'" Romero said. "And because I've seen – I've known family members and wives were murdered. When that happens to you, you see it."

Romero is the Republican candidate for Texas House District 79 against Democratic nominee Claudia Ordaz.

ABC-7 has reached out to the El Paso County Democratic Party for comment on the event.