Netanyahu blocks probe into October 7 Hamas attack, media says
Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Getty Images)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing a bill through parliament that would prohibit the establishment of a state commission to investigate the terrorist attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, 2023. Instead, the government proposes creating another commission to reduce the risk of potential accountability, according to The Times of Israel.
The bill allows for the creation of a political investigative commission rather than a state commission. The new commission would be led by one member from the coalition and one from the opposition, including high-ranking security officials.
Netanyahu has repeatedly delayed the formation of a state investigative commission, an entity with the broadest powers under Israeli law to investigate government failures that enabled Hamas’s deadly attacks. The Prime Minister argued that all investigations should be postponed until the fighting in the Gaza Strip is over.
Recently, the Israeli newspaper Hayom reported that Netanyahu is considering the possibility of creating an alternative special committee to investigate the issue.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid warned that the political investigative commission "cannot and will not happen."
“We will only vote in favor of a state commission of inquiry,” he added.
MK Merav Ben Ari of Lapid’s Yesh Atid party also opposed the plan and pledged that the opposition "will not cooperate" with Netanyahu’s attempt to "escape his responsibility for the October 7 massacres."
“We will use every parliamentary right we have to torpedo the laws,” she promised.
Israel-Hamas War
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched an invasion of Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. In the first days of the invasion, more than 1,200 Israelis were killed, and 250 people were taken hostage.
Since late October, the Israel Defense Forces have been conducting a military operation in Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas militants and their organization. The fighting has resulted in a large number of civilian casualties. According to the Ministry of Health, the death toll is estimated to reach tens of thousands.
The US and several EU countries have criticized the Israeli government for excessively harsh methods of warfare and violations of humanitarian law.
The US Senate may pass a bill blocking arms sales to Israel due to the country’s obstruction of humanitarian aid, which Palestinian civilians desperately need in Gaza.
Earlier, Hamas rejected Egypt's proposal for a ceasefire and hostage exchange in Gaza.
According to reports, in October, Israel may have been able to exchange the body of killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar for the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip.
