TEHRAN: Protesters disrupted a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a ceremony Sunday remembering the victims of Hamas’ attack on southern Israel last year.
People shouted “Shame on you” and made a commotion, forcing Netanyahu to stop his speech shortly after it began. The major commemorative event is being broadcast live around the country. Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for the failures that led to Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack and hold him responsible for not yet bringing home the remaining hostages held by the militant group in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader said Sunday that Israel’s attack on Iran this weekend “should not be exaggerated nor downplayed,” though he stopped short of calling for retaliation. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks are the latest suggesting Iran is carefully weighing its response to the attack. Already, Iran’s military has said a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip or Lebanon trumps any retaliatory attack on Israel.