Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech interrupted by relatives of Oct 7 Hamas attack victims

A tense moment unfolded during a sombre October 7 commemoration in Jerusalem as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech was interrupted by relatives of those who were killed by terror group Hamas last year.

Netanyahu stood motionless at the lectern as members of the audience shouted over his remarks for over a minute, a scene captured on a live broadcast which has now gone viral on social media.

“My father was killed,” said one of the protesters, while another chanted “shame on you”.

Many Israelis have held Netanyahu responsible for security failures, particularly citing the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack as a critical lapse. They criticise his administration for not preventing the breach and for the continued inability to secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.

Pressure on Netanyahu’s administration has also mounted, both domestically and internationally, with demands to intensify efforts for a deal to secure the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

Notably, Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea is scheduled to travel to Doha to engage in discussions aimed at reigniting negotiations for a potential hostage release agreement.

Families of the captives, supported by several Western leaders, have continued to press the Israeli government to broker a solution, especially following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar earlier this month.

Earlier, Qatar and Egypt mediated truce talks between Israel and Hamas, aiming to halt the conflict that escalated after the terror group launched attacks on southern Israel on October 7 last year. However, the negotiations, which continued into August, ended without reaching an agreement to end the hostilities.

For over two months, diplomatic efforts have made little progress, with the US blaming the stalled negotiations on Hamas, which it accused of not coming to the table. However, Egyptian and Qatari mediators have reportedly placed the responsibility on Israel, according to officials close to the discussions.