JERUSALEM / Said Amouri / Anadolu

Thousands of Israelis demonstrated Saturday in central Tel Aviv, protesting the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and demanding the formation of an official commission of inquiry into the failures of the October 7, 2023 attack.

Hebrew media outlets, including Haaretz and Yedioth Ahronoth, said thousands of Israelis participated in the demonstration held at Habima Square, amid sharp criticism of the government's performance and its handling of political and security issues.

Haaretz quoted one of the female participants as saying, 'The insistence on establishing an official commission of inquiry is the right way to build a new reality in Israel.'

She added that the 'arrogant and narcissistic government despises its citizens, and in the midst of one of the most fateful wars for us, it is busy passing coercive legislation, adopting a low and divisive discourse, and cynical political survival,' as she put it.

The demonstration comes days after the Knesset approved in first reading a bill to form a politically-tinged commission of inquiry into the October 7 events, with a majority of 59 votes and no opposition. Opposition lawmakers boycotted the voting session, considering that the bill gives the government a role in selecting the members of the commission that will investigate its performance.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas surprised Israel with an attack on its military bases and settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip, killing and capturing hundreds of settlers and soldiers, in response to Tel Aviv's violations against Palestinian holy sites and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

That was followed by a genocidal war carried out by the Israeli army against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of more than 73,000 Palestinians and injuries to over 173,000, in addition to widespread destruction affecting 90 percent of civilian infrastructure.

Netanyahu rejects the formation of an independent official commission of inquiry, whose members would have broad powers and be appointed according to established legal mechanisms, while his government pushes for a political commission that would have a hand in determining its composition and powers.

In contrast, the Israeli army conducted internal investigations that concluded it failed in its primary mission of protecting Israelis during the October 7 attack, revealing intelligence and operational shortcomings and mistaken assessments regarding Hamas' capabilities and intentions.

The army investigations resulted in the resignation of a number of senior leaders, including former Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, along with the dismissal of commanders and disciplinary measures against other officers over their responsibility for the failures that preceded and accompanied the attack.

Israeli cities have witnessed repeated demonstrations for months demanding the formation of an official and independent commission of inquiry into the October 7 events and holding political and security officials accountable for the failures that paved the way for the attack.