October | Israel news feed

Ofri Bibas, whose brother was released from Hamas captivity last year, said the proposed change 'distorts reality' and deepens the pain of hostage families and survivors amid the 'battle for the narrative' over how October 7 is remembered and framed

The recent outrage over an Israeli minister's rejection of the word 'massacre' in reference to October 7 revealed that in Israel, the word is reserved for one side. Those fighting for its preservation must apply it to what happened in Gaza

One day, it's a second Holocaust; the next, it's an 'event.' Depending on the audience, Netanyahu's coalition manages to shape the October 7 Hamas massacre to fit its political goals

Minutes reviewed by Haaretz prove that Netanyahu lied, distorted and omitted facts in his version of the events of October 7 and the decision-making that led to the intelligence failure, which he published in a 55-page declassified document

Conspiracy theories about the October 7 massacre have been meticulously nurtured by Netanyahu's adherents, who seek to pass on the blame, taking root in the mass consciousness. Those who know the truth, like Eyal Zamir and David Zini, choose to remain silent

Visiting the Judea and Samaria Division, Defense Minister Katz cited October 7-style threats and praised actions in northern West Bank 'terror camps' like Jenin and Tulkarm for reducing attacks. He called for examining the expansion of this model, as the IDF continues to raze homes in refugee camps

Eran Kolirin's latest film, 'Some Notes on the Current Situation,' uses surreal vignettes to contrast familiar Israeli absurdity with the post-October 7 sense of exile from something that has already disappeared

Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped in March 2023 and held in captivity in Iraq until September. Read her full Haaretz Podcast interview about the shock of returning to a post-October 7 Israel and sparring with right wing pundit Amit Segal – plus her analyses of Iraq, Syria and Gaza

While in Tel Aviv thousands called to establish a state commission of inquiry for October 7, in Jerusalem, protesters demanded the president refuse to pardon Netanyahu. In the south, people gathered to call for the return of the last hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili

The report notes 'documented evidence that Palestinian assailants committed sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence' both on October 7 and against hostages they held in Gaza. Former members of Amnesty's Israeli chapter claim the report on Israel was withheld over concerns about its 'perception'

Pastors from across the United States grappled with the human cost of October 7 and their responsibility to speak out, teach, and advocate when they returned from Israel.

A direct line runs from the refusal to establish a state commission of inquiry to the political purge from the IDF of members of the protest movement: the government's effort to create an alternative narrative for the October 7 massacre

After two years of weekly rallies at Hostage Square come to an end as only one deceased hostage remains in Gaza, pro-democracy activists and bereaved families call for a state commission of inquiry in the failures of October 7, as the weekly Haifa protest grew to thousands ahead of its planned cancellation by the municipality

Then-Golani Brigade chief Yair Peli was everywhere but with the soldiers battling Hamas on October 7. Some were burned to death at an army outpost or died fighting as the brigade suffered the IDF's heaviest losses

DIASPORA AFFAIRS: Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler on how Australian Jews were shocked by both the wave of antisemitism post-October 7 and the silence that followed.

The IDF chief, after penalizing the senior commanders – some of whom are retired – said that 'before my eyes is the obligation to set a clear standard of command responsibility' for the failure to defend southern Israel on October 7. The two most senior commanders dismissed from reserve duty are the IDF's Southern Command chief and the operations chief on October 7

The innumerable films and series produced about October 7 are only the beginning. But is there any value to quickly produced works? Where is the line separating documentation from sensational exploitation of the trauma?

The prime minister is trying to convince the Israeli public that they don't want an independent state commission of inquiry to investigate the events of October 7, when all polls show that they do. Can it work?

'Itay's story is one of heroism,' said Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, in a eulogy screened at the funeral in Tel Aviv's military cemetery. Chen was killed during Hamas' October 7 attack, and his body was returned to Israel last week. At his grave, his father, Ruby, said, 'I promise you, we will pursue the politicians and hold them accountable before a state commission of inquiry'

Now that the war in Gaza is mostly over, Netanyahu must deliver on his promise to launch a thorough probe into the October 7 attack. As elections grow closer, either a new government or the opposition force a state commission on Netanyahu, or he will manage to form one on his own terms