Israeli families demand probe into whether leaders had prior knowledge of Oct. 7, 2023 attack

JERUSALEM, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Families of those killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack marked the third anniversary on Wednesday by demanding an investigation into whether senior Israeli officials received intelligence warnings in advance, as controversy over what leaders knew mounts less than a month before elections.

Palestinians are seen near an Israeli tank, near the fence of the Gaza-Israel border, east of the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Oct. 7, 2023. (File photo: Xinhua)

At a national memorial ceremony organized by the Kumu movement, founded by families affected by the attack, Omri Shifroni, a movement founder and relative of victims, said, "That morning, the systems collapsed, and the state failed to function."

"To rebuild trust, we also need the truth. We must know what happened," Shifroni said, drawing sustained applause.

The calls for accountability have intensified amid scrutiny of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's actions before the attack.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan recently reported that Netanyahu had asked President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to publicly deny having warned him of an impending attack before Oct. 7, 2023. Netanyahu has denied receiving such a warning.