In Tel Aviv, thousands of people gathered three days before the elections to protest against the government

Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv for a major anti-government protest just days before parliamentary elections, seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The demonstration was organized by families of victims and hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Protesters called for an independent commission to investigate failures that led to the attacks, which resulted in the highest number of Jewish casualties since the Holocaust. Netanyahu rejected the idea of an independent commission, proposing instead a commission with members appointed by both the ruling coalition and opposition. His opponents hope to end Israel's international isolation due to the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.