The Israeli government decided on Sunday night to delay discussions on establishing an independent commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks by 90 days.
The decision comes after the High Court of Justice ruled in December that the government must hold a hearing on the matter within 90 days. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other ministers argue that an inquiry into the failures leading to Hamas’s October 7 attacks should take place only after the war. Critics, however, accuse Netanyahu of deliberately delaying the process and seeking to weaken the commission’s authority.
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There has been increasing pressure on the government to appoint an independent commission with the power to summon witnesses, collect evidence, and make personal recommendations regarding individuals under investigation. Such commissions, typically led by a senior Supreme Court justice, have greater authority than internal military probes. However, the government is not obligated to act on the commission’s recommendations.
The last state commission of inquiry investigated the 2021 Mount Meron disaster, in which 45 people were killed in a stampede at a religious site. In its April report, the commission held Netanyahu personally responsible for the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the military has conducted its own inquiry, which was presented to Defense Minister Israel Katz. This probe focused only on operational and command failures and did not address political decision-making. In January, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi and another general responsible for southern Israel announced their resignations in response to failures during the attack. Halevi is set to step down on March 6, with Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir nominated as his replacement. The last time an IDF Chief of Staff resigned before completing his term was in 2007, when Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz stepped down following the IDF’s failures in the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
On October 7, Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border resulted in at least 1,200 deaths, with 252 Israelis and foreigners taken hostage. As of now, 76 hostages remain in captivity, with more than 30 believed to be dead.
