Israeli PM Netanyahu Pays Tribute to October 7 Victims, Lights Memorial Candle

The attack killed around 1,200 people and triggered a large-scale Israeli military campaign in Gaza, which later expanded into a wider regional conflict.

In a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, Netanyahu said he lit the candle in memory of those killed in the October 7 attack and described the day as one when the country remembers those who lost their lives.

Netanyahu said the Israeli people were united in mourning and vowed that the country's military objectives would continue to be pursued.

The commemoration came amid continuing demands from families of those killed in the attack for an investigation into whether senior Israeli officials received intelligence warnings before October 7. The issue has become a subject of political controversy ahead of elections.

Netanyahu has rejected allegations that he received advance warning about the Hamas attack. In a statement, he accused Israeli media of using the anniversary to promote political criticism against him and his Likud party.

His office maintained that the Prime Minister had not received advance information about an impending Hamas attack from Gaza. The statement cited remarks attributed to US President Donald Trump, former US President Joe Biden's adviser Brett McGurk, and officials from the UAE and Egypt in support of the claim.

Netanyahu's statement also argued that an earlier warning would have altered the course of events. It said he was the one who subsequently approved a ground operation in Gaza and resisted pressure from the Biden administration to limit Israel's response to airstrikes.