Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday (October 24) to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, just three days before the country’s general election.
The demonstrators demanded an independent investigation into the security failures that allowed the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza.
According to international media reports, protesters assembled at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, carrying Israeli flags and calling for accountability over the government’s handling of the attacks.
The demonstration was organised by the October Council, a group established by families of people taken captive during the October 7 attacks.
Several prominent opposition figures joined the rally, including Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party and one of Netanyahu’s main political rivals, and Democrats leader Yair Golan.
The October Council has repeatedly called for an independent state commission of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attacks and determine responsibility for the security failures.
However, Netanyahu’s government has resisted demands for such an inquiry, proposing instead a commission whose members would be appointed by government and opposition lawmakers.
Opposition leaders have rejected the proposal, arguing that an investigation must be independent of political influence.
The demonstration comes ahead of Israel’s general election scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, with opinion polls suggesting a close contest between Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc and opposition parties.
The election will be Israel’s first general election since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. (Newswire)
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