Thousands join Oct. 7 victims memorial in Tel Aviv as families accuse leaders of fail

Thousands of bereaved families gathered at Habima Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening for an alternative memorial ceremony titled “1,000 days of blood and tears,” coinciding with Israel’s annual remembrance period.

Organized by the umbrella protest group the October Council, participants described the event as a “ceremony of forgetting.” The gathering reflected widespread frustration with the government’s handling of the Oct. 7 attack and its aftermath.

Calls for Accountability and Remembrance

Actor Tzachi Halevi hosted the ceremony, where representatives from various communities lit torches in memory of their loved ones. The attendees included relatives of hostages, victims of the Oct. 7 attack, and families of fallen IDF soldiers and security forces.

Ofri Bibas, sister of hostage survivor Yarden Bibas and a relative of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas—who were killed in captivity—placed a wreath for the hostages. “I will never forget,” Bibas said, stating she does not need a designated day a year to remember the tragedy.

Eyal Eshel, father of surveillance soldier Roni Eshel who was killed on Oct. 7, accused leadership of failing to respond while his daughter “did her job until the last second.” Eshel stated that families will not remain silent until there is accountability and answers.

Other participants included Benjamin Katz, whose relatives were killed in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and Yuval Zaushnitzer, the widow of an IDF company commander killed on the first day of the war.

Revital Markovitz, widow of a police officer killed while protecting the Nova music festival, attended to ensure the country does not forget the officers who chose to stay and fight despite opportunities to withdraw.

Planned Demonstrations

As part of the event, families recited an alternative memorial prayer intended to express anger over perceived failures surrounding the Oct. 7 attack.

Organizers stated that the ceremony in Tel Aviv is one of dozens of events planned for the coming week. On Sunday, families are expected to hold additional memorial gatherings outside the homes of coalition lawmakers and government ministers.