Protests in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem demand probe into Netanyahu’s government failures

Protests in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem demanded an official inquiry Saturday into government and security failures surrounding the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, and subsequent developments, Israeli media reported.

About 2,000 demonstrators gathered at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, while 250 others rallied in Jerusalem, according to the Haaretz newspaper.

The protests were called by civil groups and families of victims, who demanded accountability for political and military decisions they said led to failures since October 2023, when less than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.

In Jerusalem, police forcibly dispersed some protesters after they refused to comply with evacuation orders, said the newspaper.

Participants rejected what they described as a “leadership evasion of responsibility,” urging the establishment of an independent state commission to examine shortcomings and hold those responsible accountable.

Israeli political, security and military officials have described the handling of the Oct. 7 attack as a failure, with several stepping down and acknowledging partial responsibility.

Following the attack, Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 72,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and destroying 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at around $70 billion.