Protesters Block Ayalon Highway Demanding State Inquiry Into October 7 Attack

On July 2, 2026, dozens of protesters blocked the northbound lanes of the Ayalon Highway in central Israel to mark 1,000 days since the October 7 attack. Demonstrators called for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry and condemned what they described as government negligence. Earlier the same day, Eyal Eshel, father of Roni Eshel who was killed at Nahal Oz outpost on October 7, warned in a Walla studio interview that Israel faces the risk of a similar or worse attack if the military does not change its approach. Eshel, founder of the October Council advocating for a state inquiry into the events leading to the disaster, said the failure to form the commission severely harms Israel’s security. He argued that had the inquiry been established, incidents like the drone attack in southern Lebanon might have been prevented. The protest followed a rally held the previous day at Sha'ar HaNegev junction, which included bereaved families and families of hostages, all demanding a state investigation into the failures of October 7.