Anti-government protesters march near Gaza border, demanding probe into Oct. 7 failures

Anti-government demonstrations gather around the country, calling for a State Commission of Inquiry into “the negligence that led to the October 7 attack” and for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza since.

Near the Gaza border, protesters are on the second day of a “March of Abandonment and Bravery,” walking today from Kibbutz Be’eri to Kibbutz Re’im.

Be’eri was one of the hardest hit communities in Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw thousands of terrorists burst across the border into Israel, killing some 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, mostly civilians. Hundreds were killed and dozens kidnapped at an outdoor music festival near Re’im.

In Jerusalem, meanwhile, hundreds of protesters are marching to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence on Azza Street, calling for the hostages’ release and for early elections.

Protesters march in Jerusalem, calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and for early elections, holding a banner that reads, ‘He who abandoned them, must return them,’ July 18, 2024. (Pro-Democracy Movement/Ori Koren)

They march behind a large banner bearing a photo of Netanyahu that reads, “He who abandoned them, must return them.”