The Supreme Court began hearing petitions on Thursday seeking to compel the government to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre and the subsequent Israel-Hamas War.
The hearing comes two and a half years after the Hamas-led attack, with no state commission yet formed.
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has backed the petitions, strengthening the legal push for a formal state inquiry, Maariv reported. The case centers on whether the government can continue delaying the creation of a commission with broad statutory powers.
Supreme Court President Isaac Amit recused himself from the case because, under Israeli law, the president of the Supreme Court would appoint the members of a state commission of inquiry if one is established. Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg is therefore leading the seven-justice panel, alongside Justices David Mintz, Yael Willner, Ofer Grosskopf, Alex Stein, Khaled Kabub, and Yechiel Kasher.
At the opening of the hearing, Sohlberg said the petitions concerned the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7 and the war that followed. He noted that all sides agreed the events were exceptionally grave, and said the law grants the government authority to establish such a commission, whose members would then be appointed by the president of the Supreme Court.
Protest disruptions halt proceedings at High Court
Bereaved families who opposed the commission tried to force their way into the hearing after being denied entry, though several representatives were admitted. Some reportedly breached security perimeters and reached the courtroom entrance before being pushed back by guards.
After roughly two hours, the hearing was temporarily suspended following the disturbances, and the justices were moved to a side room. Proceedings resumed a short time later.
Additionally, MK Tally Gotliv (Likud) was removed from the courtroom at the order of Justice Noam Solberg after he previously warned her that she would be removed if she was not quiet.
The hearing is unfolding against a broader national and political dispute over how Israel should investigate the failures surrounding October 7. In recent months, the government has resisted a traditional state commission format, while the attorney-general has argued that continued delay is harming truth-finding and accountability.