Azernews.Az

Israeli opposition lawmaker Gilad Kariv has called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be removed from office, describing his departure as an “existential need for Israeli society.”

Kariv, a member of the opposition Democrats party, made the remarks while criticizing Netanyahu’s handling of the Israeli military’s investigations into the security failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

“Just as Netanyahu avoided visiting the kibbutzim in the area surrounding Gaza for months after October 7, he is also avoiding dealing with the Israeli army’s investigations into everything that happened on October 7,” Kariv said.

He accused Netanyahu of repeatedly “abandoning” Israel’s security and displaying “complete incompetence” in managing national security.

“Such a person must not be allowed to make any decisions about our future and the future of our children,” Kariv said, adding that Netanyahu’s removal from the premiership was an “existential need for Israeli society.”

Kariv’s remarks come as opposition parties and sections of Israeli society continue to call for an independent state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the October 7 attack. Netanyahu’s government has rejected calls for such a commission and has favored a politically appointed investigative mechanism, according to reports.

The criticism comes ahead of Israel’s Knesset elections, scheduled for October 27, 2026, with Netanyahu seeking another term as prime minister. Recent polling has indicated challenges for Netanyahu’s Likud and divisions within the wider right-wing bloc.

The October 7 attack and the subsequent war in Gaza have remained central issues in Israel’s political debate, with questions over the security failures preceding the assault continuing to generate pressure on Netanyahu and his government.