Israelis mark 1,000 days since October 7 attack with protests and memorials

Israel marked the 1,000th day since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, with somber commemorations and protests across the country, calling for a state commission of inquiry into the failures that led to the deadliest attack in Israeli history.

The first memorial moment began at 6:29 a.m., the exact time the attack started. Jerusalem resident Dina Hertz told AFP that what weighs on her most is that even after 1,000 days, there is no sense of closure – no genuine commission of inquiry, no taking of responsibility, and no real conclusions drawn by those in charge on October 7.

According to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, the Hamas-led attack killed 1,221 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza. Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

Since a ceasefire took effect on October 10 last year, at least 1,053 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry, while the Israeli military reports losing five soldiers and one contractor over the same period. Israeli forces currently occupy nearly 70 percent of the Gaza Strip.

The "October Council," founded by families of victims and hostages, organized gatherings in front of the Israeli parliament and near government members' homes. "The families of the hostages and the bereaved families are demanding the establishment of a state commission of inquiry now!" the council posted on X.

Tel Aviv's "Hostages Square" – a focal point for the struggle to free captives during the war – is to be renamed "Memory Square." A memorial event is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, bringing together victims' families and protest leaders.

Israeli military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said Monday that the day "reminds us of our overall responsibility and the weight that rests on our shoulders. We remember, we learn, and we prepare for the continuation of combat and the many challenges still ahead."

Former army chief Gadi Eizenkot, a leading candidate to succeed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in October elections, wrote on X: "1,000 days. We will still prove ourselves worthy. I promise. Gadi."

Polls indicate that a large number of Israelis across the political spectrum support a commission to determine responsibility for the authorities' failure to prevent the attack. However, Netanyahu's government has long refused to establish such a commission, despite Israel's past practice of setting up similar bodies to investigate major state-level failures.