TEL AVIV – After a series of postponements, the Israeli government has finally committed to initiating an investigation into the lapses that allowed the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which sparked the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

However, the decision has been met with skepticism, as concerns over the investigation’s impartiality have surfaced. Critics claim that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be attempting to sidestep accountability for what is considered the most devastating attack in Israel’s history.

In past instances of significant governmental failures, Israel has typically appointed an independent state commission of inquiry, headed by a retired judge, to ensure objectivity and thoroughness.

Despite this tradition, Netanyahu has so far resisted calls for such an independent investigation into the events of October 7. He has insisted that he will address all questions once the conflict concludes. Following the ceasefire implemented on October 10, Netanyahu announced that the government could now proceed with the investigation.

The Cabinet has sanctioned the creation of a more limited “government committee.” Notably, Netanyahu will have oversight over the selection of individuals who will conduct the inquiry, effectively placing him at the helm of the investigation. Further details regarding the inquiry are anticipated to be revealed within the next 45 days.

Public criticism

Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, called the decision insulting to the victims of Oct. 7 and to the hundreds of soldiers who have died in the war.

“The government is doing everything it can to run from the truth and evade responsibility,” Lapid said.

The government is “establishing a commission that will investigate itself,” noted the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, which is critical of Netanyahu. “This is not an investigative commission, this is a cover-up commission.”

In the Oct. 7 attack, Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and took over 250 others hostage. Nearly 500 soldiers have been killed in fighting since then, while Palestinian health officials say over 69,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas.

According to a poll by the Jerusalem-based think tank Israel Democracy Institute last month, nearly three-quarters of the public support a fully independent commission of inquiry. Even among Netanyahu’s right-wing base, 68% favored an independent commission. The survey questioned 1,000 people and had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

Thousands of people demonstrated on Saturday night in Tel Aviv, many calling for an independent probe.

Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges unrelated to the war, says Israel’s judiciary has too much power and has asserted that an independent inquiry would not have “the broadest possible public support.”

“The only way to ensure public trust in the work of the commission is broad agreement regarding the composition of the commission,” he said.

Previous findings

The Israeli military and other security bodies have conducted a number of investigations into their failures on Oct. 7.

But the new investigation also will look at governmental decision-making and assumptions that created the conditions for the attack to occur.

Many security figures have said that Netanyahu’s attempt to overhaul the country’s judicial system, which triggered mass demonstrations and public divisions before the war, sent a message of weakness that encouraged Israel’s enemies to attack. Netanyahu rejects the accusations.

Many Israelis believe the mistakes of Oct. 7 extend beyond the military, and they blame Netanyahu for what they view as a failed strategy of deterrence and containment in the years before the attack. That strategy included allowing Qatar to send suitcases of cash into Gaza and sidelining Hamas’ rival, the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority.

An Israeli military investigation determined that a central misconception was that Hamas, which seized control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, was more interested in governing the territory than fighting Israel.

The probe also found that Hamas was able to carry out the Oct. 7 attack because the more powerful Israeli army misjudged the militant group’s intentions and underestimated its capabilities.

Military planners had envisioned that, at worst, Hamas could stage a ground invasion from up to eight border points, but Hamas had more than 60 attack routes on Oct. 7.

Many high-ranking officers in the military and security establishment at the time, including the military chief of staff, the head of military intelligence and the defense minister, have resigned or been forced out.

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