Netanyahu under fire after the failure of October 7
Netanyahu opposes efforts to establish an official investigative committee into his government’s failure to confront the Hamas attack and refuses to assume any responsibility.
On Saturday evening, thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv, calling for the establishment of an investigative committee into the “failures” that accompanied the October 7, 2023 attack, according to Israeli media.
Haaretz reported that large demonstrations began near the Ministry of Defense headquarters on Begin Street in central Tel Aviv, before moving toward Habima Square.
The protests are part of a new wave demanding a “comprehensive investigation” into the political and security establishment’s handling of the events of October 7.
The Times of Israel reported that the demonstrations were part of a broader movement that spread across several areas of the country, with protesters calling for an official and independent committee to investigate the “state failure” in managing the events. They stressed that “responsibility cannot remain unresolved without accountability.”
The outlet quoted the father of one victim (unnamed) saying that an investigation should be “self-evident,” adding that the incident represents “a disaster at the heart of the state that requires uncovering every detail without exception.”
On October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters attacked military bases and settlements near the Gaza Strip, killing and capturing Israelis. The movement stated that the attack was carried out in response to the “daily crimes of the occupation against the Palestinian people and their sacred sites, especially Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
The following day, and for two years, Israel launched what was described as a genocidal war on Gaza with U.S. support, resulting in more than 69,000 Palestinian deaths and over 170,000 injuries, most of them women and children. Around 90 percent of civilian infrastructure was destroyed, and the United Nations estimated reconstruction costs at around 70 billion dollars.
Since October 10, 2025, a ceasefire agreement has been in place between Hamas and Israel, but Israel has violated it daily, causing hundreds of Palestinian casualties and restricting the entry of food and medical supplies.
Many political, military, and security officials in Israel have described the October 7 attack as a “security, intelligence, military, and political failure.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes initiatives to establish an official investigative commission into his government’s handling of the Hamas attack, refuses to bear any responsibility, and rejects opposition calls for early elections, despite the resignations of officials who admitted partial responsibility.
In May, a civilian Israeli investigative committee on the October 7 events stated that the government had “failed to protect its citizens and must bear responsibility.”
The committee explained that it had collected at least 120 testimonies confirming Israel’s failures and concluded that Netanyahu had “led the country into the greatest disaster in its history,” according to Israeli media at the time.
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir also previously acknowledged that the army had “failed in its mission to protect the state and its citizens” on October 7.
