Here’s how Coral Gables will commemorate the lives lost in the Israel-Hamas war
Coral Gables has updated its plan to remember lives lost in the latest war between Israel and Hamas — and to now celebrate the recent release of hostages.
City commissioners on Tuesday unanimously agreed to move forward with their previously delayed plans to host an interfaith service, with a few tweaks now that a U.S.-negotiated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced this week after a two-year war that has killed tens of thousands of people.
The event will take place Monday, Oct. 27, in the courtyard of City Hall.
“As our community prepares to gather for an interfaith service on Oct. 27, we do so with a renewed sense of hope and purpose,” Mayor Vince Lago told the Miami Herald in a statement after the meeting. “[The] news of the safe release of Israeli hostages brings a moment of relief in a region too often marked by conflict and suffering. I want to thank President Donald Trump for his leadership and persistence in helping bring these families back together.”
The city was initially going to host an interfaith vigil on Oct. 7, which marked two years since Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages, which sparked the war. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed about 67,000 Palestinians since then, according to Gazan health authorities.
Scheduling conflicts among faith leaders related to a Jewish holiday and disagreements on how to properly honor victims delayed the initial plans for the city’s vigil.
Commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting said the disagreements were related to the lighting of City Hall, and if doing so in white and blue would cause further divisions. They said some Jewish leaders had also expressed a desire to wait until the war was over to do a remembrance event.
Coral Gables to commemorate lives lost in the Israel-Hamas war
Now, it seems like most of the logistics are set. The plan:
- The city will now host an interfaith remembrance ceremony on Oct. 27 in the courtyard of City Hall.
- The banner that city commissioners previously voted on a few weeks ago to commemorate the lives lost in the war will be displayed at City Hall on Oct. 27.
- City Hall will be lit in red, white and blue for the remembrance ceremony instead of the previously discussed white and blue, a color scheme that some residents felt only symbolized Israel.
The ceremony comes after President Donald Trump, who helped broker the deal between Israel and Hamas, declared the war over. As part of the deal, Hamas released the 20 remaining living hostages in Gaza, and Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
“I think this really shows you how much the world can change in three weeks,” said Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, who thanked Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his remarks. “Three weeks ago, we didn’t think peace was a possibility, and yesterday we had a historic peace agreement that was signed by two sides that have been fighting for many, many years.”
Discussions on how to properly honor victims of the war was a hot topic in the Gables after Lago sponsored a resolution several weeks ago to commemorate Oct. 7 by raising the Israeli flag at City Hall. At a meeting last month, after hearing from residents, city commissioners set aside the flag-raising idea and instead agreed to display a more neutral banner honoring all victims of the war, to light up City Hall and to hold an interfaith vigil.
The decision, at the time, was described by Commissioner Richard Lara as an inclusive way to promote peace and honor the lives lost “because we represent one Coral Gables.”
While the city did not officially raise the Israeli flag, Lago did display the blue and white flag alongside the U.S. flag on the window of his office at City Hall. The mayor, who has described himself as a strong supporter of Israel, said he plans to keep the flag there until the upcoming remembrance ceremony.
Commissioner Melissa Castro, who on Tuesday sponsored the discussion for an update on the city’s remembrance plans, said she was glad City Hall would be lit in the colors of the U.S. flag, which she had suggested in the previous meeting.
“I think anything that promotes peace — unity — is very well welcomed by me, but we need to take into consideration that we represent everyone” when making these types of decisions, Castro told the Herald.
Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, who proposed the banner design ideas a few weeks ago, expressed optimism that now was the right time to host the interfaith ceremony.
“I think it’s time to bring our community together,” she said at Tuesday’s meeting.
Lago, who described the peace deal as a reminder of how global attention and diplomacy can lead to change, said the Gables is “committed to bringing people together across faiths, backgrounds, and beliefs to stand for peace, compassion, and understanding.”
“Let this be more than a moment of celebration; let it be a turning point toward lasting peace in the Middle East and unity within our own community,” he said.
