Israelis demand accountability over 7 October failures

As the sky began to lighten over Israel's border with Gaza on Wednesday, the people of Kfar Aza moved silently towards the armoury at the centre of the kibbutz. It was there, shortly after 07:00 on 7 October 2023, that Hamas-led attackers killed half the community's 14-member civil defence squad. They were among 64 killed and 19 kidnapped from the community that day. The pain of those attacks is still fresh here, and three years on, profound questions remain about who should pay the price for Israel's massive security failure.

Inbar Goldstein, whose brother and niece were killed, and four other relatives kidnapped from Kfar Aza, expressed the collective anguish of many survivors. She stated that she needs her country to take responsibility for what transpired. The 7 October attack was the deadliest Israel had suffered since its creation in 1948, resulting in about 1,200 deaths across southern Israel and the abduction of 251 hostages taken back to Gaza.

Three years after this unprecedented security failure, there is still no independent state inquiry into how the catastrophe was allowed to happen. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in charge at the time of the failure, is running for election again. His campaign platform maintains the same promise: to be stronger and tougher than anyone else in protecting Israel from its enemies. Families argue that the systemic issues run much deeper than a single day.

Goldstein noted that nobody has investigated the roots of the attack, describing the situation as a long process of abandonment rather than an event that simply started or ended on October 7th. Aside from the direct responsibility of Hamas for the atrocities, growing questions are being raised in Israel regarding the intelligence failure, the information passed to political and military leaders, and what Netanyahu personally knew.

In the months leading up to the attacks, young female soldiers stationed along the Gaza border to monitor suspicious activities had repeatedly warned their superiors about potential preparations. Roni Eshel was among them, killed alongside 14 other members of her unit when gunmen overran the Nahal Oz base next to Kfar Aza. Her uncle, Elad Levy, voiced the deep uncertainty shared by bereaved families regarding prior intelligence warnings.

Levy questioned whether warnings were received from Egypt, the Emirates, or other international sources that Netanyahu may have ignored. He emphasized the urgent need to uncover what happened not only on the day of the attacks, but in the months and years preceding them. According to Levy, uncovering the raw truth is vital to prevent history from repeating itself.

Despite the mounting pressure from victims' families, Netanyahu has consistently rejected any personal responsibility for the security lapse or ordered an official state inquiry. As political dynamics shift and elections approach, the debate over leadership accountability remains a deeply divisive and painful issue for a nation still grappling with the scars of October 2023.