Israel is marking 1,000 days since the October 7, 2023, attacks with protests and vigils on Thursday, as it commemorates the victims of the massacre that shattered the country and triggered the devastating war in the Gaza Strip.
The first memorial ceremony began early in the morning at a crossroads in Galilee in the north of the country.
A large rally is planned for the evening at Hostage Square in the centre of Tel Aviv.
Terrorists, led by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, attacked Israel in October 2023, killing around 1,200 and abducting more than 250 as hostages. The attacks prompted Israel to launch a major offensive in the Gaza Strip, which according to official figures killed more than 73,000 Palestinians.
A UN independent commission of inquiry has accused Israel of committing genocide during the war, while human rights groups accuse it of war crimes - allegations that Israel rejects.
Harsh criticism from the opposition
The Israeli opposition accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government of trying to cover up their responsibility for the failure on October 7.
Opposition politician Avigdor Lieberman visited the kibbutz of Kfar Aza, which was particularly hard hit by the Hamas-led massacre. There, according to the Kan broadcaster, he described the massacre as "the worst catastrophe in the history of the Jewish people since the Holocaust."
Lieberman said the warning signs were apparent, yet the government has been trying ever since to shirk responsibility.
Even 1,000 days later, "all fronts remain open" in the regional war, he said.
Lieberman, who previously served as Israel's foreign minister and defence minister, said the right-wing religious government has left Israel in a state of "chaos and anarchy."
