One year in, war casts a shadow over every aspect of life in Israel

TEL AVIV, Israel — At a busy Tel Aviv entertainment district, diners spill into outdoor seating and clink glasses as music fills the air. There's laughter, there's life. But all around the patrons, staring down from lampposts and shop windows, are pictures of hostages held in Gaza, stark reminders that Israel is at war and forever scarred by the deadliest attack in its history.

As Israel's war with Hamas reaches its one-year mark, it can seem on the surface that much of life in the country has returned to normal. But with many still reeling from Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, hostages remaining in captivity and a new front of war with Hezbollah in the north, many Israelis feel depressed, despondent and angry as the war stretches into its second year.