President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended a state civilian memorial at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem marking three years since the October 7, 2023 attack. Herzog honoured civilians, soldiers, police officers and rescue workers who rushed to help. He described Highway 232 as both a “road of blood” and a “road of courage.”
Herzog urged Israelis to preserve mutual responsibility and unity ahead of elections scheduled for this month. He called for solidarity not only in mourning and on the battlefield, but also during recovery. Earlier at a separate memorial ceremony, he called for a determined and impartial inquiry into how the failures occurred and said warnings must not be ignored. He did not specify a commission format.
Netanyahu said Israel would not accept the attack and would continue pursuing those responsible. He said all Israeli hostages had been brought back from Gaza’s tunnels and reiterated that Hamas would not govern the territory. He also said Israeli action had weakened Iran-backed groups and was protecting other countries as well as Israel.
The ceremony took place amid an ongoing dispute over how to investigate the decisions and failures preceding the attack. The report highlighted the leaders’ differing emphasis: Herzog’s appeal for an inquiry and social unity, and Netanyahu’s pledge to continue the military campaign.