Families of Oct. 7 Victims Launch "Indictment" Against Israeli Governments

Families of Israelis killed and abducted on October 7th have unveiled a document they call "File 7.10," which they describe as an indictment against successive Israeli governments for their responsibility in the failures leading up to the Hamas attack. At a press conference Tuesday, they asserted that anyone who held a position of leadership on or before October 7th is unfit to continue governing the country and urged citizens to join their cause.

Several bereaved family members shared personal testimonies and criticisms of government policy. Shelly Meshel-Yogev, whose daughter was murdered at the Nova music festival, stated that the "greatest disaster in the history of the State of Israel" has not been properly investigated, with no conclusions drawn or accountability assigned. She blamed a flawed national concept, shaped by 15 years of political decisions, for her daughter's death and directly addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, questioning why he didn't act on intelligence warnings about Hamas leader Sinwar.

Natalia Casroti, mother of a Nova festival victim, played her son's final recording and questioned how Qatari money, allegedly transferred with Israeli government knowledge, funded Hamas's capabilities. She demanded that anyone found guilty face imprisonment. Einav Tsengauker, mother of a released hostage, emphasized that the October 7th failures were a long-term issue stemming from years of leadership, policy, and flawed concepts, not just the hours of the attack itself.

Professor Uzi Shacham, father of a fallen soldier, criticized the policy of strengthening Hamas through Qatari money transfers and preventing strikes against its leaders, even days before the attack. Michel Illouz, father of a kidnapped and murdered hostage, stated that the government failed to retrieve all hostages and questioned if the government considered the consequences of transferring funds to an organization aiming to destroy Israel.

Noam Peri, daughter of a hostage who was killed, revealed that an offer to return civilian hostages was made in the early days of the war but was ignored by Israel. Gil Dickman, whose relatives were murdered, vowed that the families would relentlessly pursue accountability, ensuring that upcoming elections focus on the question of whether to allow those responsible for the disaster to lead the country again. Me'irav Svirsky, who lost her parents and brother, described the events as a "conscious abandonment" of lives and security, while Lishi Miran-Lavi, a former hostage, expressed fear of repeating the same destructive path that led to the attack, citing the use of Qatari-funded weapons in her home.