Former Hamas hostage Gadi Moses accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of opposing a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre because of political consequences, in an interview with Kan News on Monday.
"I think the prime minister knows exactly what happened, and he is simply opposed to a state commission of inquiry," Moses said.
Moses, 82, was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 and released after 482 days in Hamas captivity. His partner, Efrat Katz, was killed during the massacre.
His comments came as the establishment of a state commission of inquiry has remained a hot political issue ahead of Israel's election on October 27.
Nearly three years after the massacre, no state commission has been created, while members of the opposition have pledged to create one if they form the next government.
'We must talk about tomorrow' Moses plans for future
Moses said Netanyahu's leadership also contributed to divisions within Israeli society.
"Netanyahu 'won' to create such a difficult separation between the different tribes of the people of Israel and caused the loss of trust in the 'togetherness,'" he said.
When asked about Israel’s future alongside Palestinians, Moses said, “I don’t think we can talk about peace today, but we must talk about what will happen tomorrow. The Palestinians are not going anywhere, and we are not going anywhere.
“‘There is no one to make peace with’ is an empty slogan. They will understand that they have the right to exist, and they will also understand that we are here forever and no one will drive us out of here.”
Security situation at Gaza border insufficient, residents living in fear, Moses says
He also criticized the security situation around Nir Oz, saying residents continued to live in fear despite the military presence near the Gaza border.
Moses returned to Nir Oz after 482 days in captivity and has since become a leading voice for rehabilitation efforts for his kibbutz following the devastation of October 7.
"The state does not provide us with any security that something like this cannot happen again," he added.
The former hostage also called for a change in the way Israelis discuss the trauma caused by the October 7 attack.
"The wound is open; there are people suffering existential wounds," Moses said. "We need to change the way we speak to each other, speak more gently and relate to the difficulties of people who have experienced trauma."
"'Together we will win' means together we will be one people, not together we will beat each other," he said.