Clashes erupt during hearing amid calls for independent probe into Oct. 7, 2023 events
JERUSALEM — Protesters attempted to storm Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday as it heard petitions calling for an independent, professional inquiry into the Oct. 7, 2023, events, according to Israeli media.
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said the session, held before a panel of seven judges led by Deputy Chief Justice Noam Sohlberg, was marked by “heated debate” as the court considered demands for a formal state commission of inquiry.
Scuffles broke out outside the court building between families of the killed who support forming an inquiry and others who oppose it, the broadcaster reported.
Strict limits were imposed on public attendance “due to the sensitivity of the case,” it added.
“There is consensus among the parties on the need for an investigation, but the disagreement centers on its timing and mechanism,” Sohlberg said at the start of the session.
Government lawyer Michael Rabello claimed that court intervention in the matter is “currently unjustified.”
“The security and political conditions do not allow for launching a comprehensive investigation, and the priority must remain achieving victory on all fronts,” he said.
KAN said Justice Yael Vilner criticized the government’s position, describing delaying the investigation as “a serious matter.”
About six months ago, the court ordered the government to explain why it had not formed an independent and professional commission of inquiry into the events.
The government initially challenged the court’s authority to hear the case before proposing alternative options, including a politically appointed committee, which the opposition criticized as an attempt to evade responsibility.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said delaying the formation of an independent, professional commission “free of political influence” harms the chances of reaching the truth.
Government incitement
According to the Haaretz daily, the session was abruptly suspended after security forces ordered judges to leave the courtroom following attempts by some protesters to storm it.
Security forces entered the courtroom and instructed judges to return to their offices, and proceedings were halted due to disturbances outside before the session was later resumed, the newspaper added.
“What are they afraid of, and why? A state commission of inquiry is the only way to uncover the truth, draw lessons, and prevent another disaster,” opposition leader Yair Lapid said Thursday on the US social media platform X.
“The government of Oct. 7 fears the truth. (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is once again evading responsibility,” he added.
Opposition figure Yair Golan criticized what he described as government incitement against the court.
“The dangerous incitement led by Netanyahu and (Justice Minister) Yariv Levin against the Supreme Court is translating into violence on the ground, and any harm to the justices will be on their shoulders,” he wrote on X.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also rejected delaying the formation of a commission.
“Those who say ‘later’ about an investigation mean ‘never,’” he wrote on X.
Political, military, and security leaders have acknowledged responsibility for failures related to the October 2023 attack events, but Netanyahu has refused to accept responsibility and instead blamed the army and intelligence services.
On Oct. 8, 2023, Israel launched a genocidal war in Gaza that has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounded over 172,000, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian figures.
Israel continues to violate two ceasefire agreements, one in Gaza since October 2025 and another in Lebanon since last Thursday, while carrying out near-daily ground incursions in Syria and preparing for the possibility of renewed war with Iran. — Anadolu Agency
