Tel Aviv: Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding an independent commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, three days before a national election.
The rally at Hostages Square was organised by the October Council, a group representing families and friends of victims and survivors of the attack. Opposition leaders attended the rally.
Protesters voiced their concern that the same government that was in power during the October 7, 2023 attacks will run again in the upcoming elections.
Demonstrators called for political change, voicing frustration with the government's policies and demanding accountability from its leaders, yelling "shame" during the rally.
The October 7 attack, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures, shook the country and has continued to fuel demands for accountability.
The election on October 27 will be the first since the attack, which triggered Israel's war in Gaza and broader regional conflict. Polls have indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on course to lose the election, although Israel's fragmented political system leaves the outcome uncertain.