Protesters gathered for the weekly rally in Tel Aviv, demanding a state commission of inquiry into the events of 7 October 2023.

"The government of Israel failed in its most important mission, to protect its children, to protect its citizens, not to abandon soldiers on the battlefield without rescue and without assistance," said Rafi Ben Shitrit, whose son was killed on 7 October.

"If Netanyahu and his gang of jackals and snakes think that we will simply, you know, drop our hands and give up, they are wrong," said Kfir Blum, one of the protesters.

The Israel-Hamas war began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people and took over 250 hostage.

Almost all of the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals.

Gaza's Health Ministry says 69,733 Palestinians have been killed and 170,863 injured in Israel's retaliatory offensive.

The toll has gone up during the ceasefire both from new Israeli strikes and from the recovery and identification of bodies of people killed earlier in the war.

The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures but has said women and children make up a majority of those killed.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.

Saturday's protest came as Israel’s military launched airstrikes against Hamas militants in Gaza in the latest test of the ceasefire that began on Oct. 10, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said five senior Hamas members were killed.

Health officials in Gaza reported at least 24 people killed and another 54 wounded, including children.

AP video by Paz Bar