Israeli government refuses independent inquiry into responsibility for Oct 7

At the end of the war, almost everyone responsible for Israel’s failures on 7 October has resigned or been dismissed — the defence minister, the chief of staff, the head of the Shin Bet, and several senior IDF officers. The one person who has taken no responsibility is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Sunday, the government took another step towards distancing itself from accountability, announcing it would establish its own investigation into the failures surrounding the Hamas invasion and massacre on 7 October 2023.

This decision bypasses the formation of a state commission of inquiry, the long-established mechanism for major national disasters , and one supported by a strong majority of Israelis. On Wednesday, the High Court of Justice issued a preliminary order instructing the government to justify its refusal to establish such a commission.

Although the government describes its probe as “independent”, its mandate, scope and likely membership will be determined by cabinet ministers. The decision states that the inquiry will have “full investigative authority”, but the extent and limits of that authority have not been publicly defined. Netanyahu has also insisted that the inquiry devote significant attention to the alleged role of the High Court and the anti-government protest movement, arguing that these contributed to the failures of 7 October, a claim rejected by most security officials.