Tel Aviv protesters demand accountability for October 7 security failures

A large anti-government demonstration took place in Tel Aviv on Saturday, October 24, ahead of Israel's Knesset elections scheduled for October 27. Protesters demanded accountability for the government's failure to prevent the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The rally, organized by the October Council, which unites families of victims and released hostages, featured a march from Rabin Square to the "Hostages Square." Demonstrators called for a state commission of inquiry into the security failures that allowed the attack, which killed around 1,200 people, and criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Recent polls show no bloc winning a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, with Gadi Eisenkot's bloc projected to win about 52 seats and Netanyahu's bloc 50. The Netanyahu administration has refused to establish a state commission, instead proposing a political committee that opposition leaders have vowed to boycott.