Angry relatives of the October 7 attack victims scream at Netanyahu, interrupting his speech [Getty/file photo]
Screaming relatives of Hamas attack victims interrupted a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday during October 7 commemorations, carried out in accordance with the Hebrew calendar.
Netanyahu stood motionless at a lectern during the ceremony in Jerusalem as audience members in the crowd shouted, interrupting him for more than a minute, according to a live broadcast of the speech.
One of the protesters repeatedly shouted, “My father was killed”.
Public and diplomatic pressure has been on Netanyahu’s administration to do more to strike a deal for securing the release of captives still held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian detainees, as well as ceasefire in the war-hit territory where nearly 43,000 have been killed since October 7 last year.
Israeli spy chief David Barnea is scheduled to head to Doha on Sunday for talks aimed at restarting negotiations towards reaching a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Families of the remaining hostages along with several Western leaders have called on the Israeli government to broker an agreement after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar earlier this month.
Critics in Israel have accused Netanyahu of obstructing mediation for a ceasefire and hostage-release deal, in a bid to cling onto power.
Several protests against Netanyahu have been held in Israel since the start of the war, urging him to do more in securing a ceasefire and hostage-release deal, while others have urged him to step down.
Earlier Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said military action by itself will not achieve the country’s war aims.
“Not all objectives can be achieved through military operations alone… To realise our moral duty to bring our hostages home, we will have to make painful concessions,” Gallant said in a separate speech in the event commemorating the events of last year.Â
