Israelis rally against Netanyahu before pivotal election, demand Oct. 7 inquiry

Israelis held a final large rally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Tuesday's election, which is seen as the most consequential in the country's history, with demonstrators calling for an inquiry into the security failures behind the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that sparked the Gaza war. Netanyahu has refused such an inquiry, and his chief rival, Gadi Eisenkot, attended the Tel Aviv rally, which echoed weekly protests for hostage release. All hostages or their remains were eventually freed, though Netanyahu faces accusations of delaying deals to secure their earlier return. The Middle East remains tense, with an Iranian commander vowing to block U.S. warships from the Persian Gulf, a rising death toll from a church attack in Jordan, and U.S. travel warnings reissued for the region amid Houthi threats.