800 Days After Oct 7, 200 Freed Hostages, Bereaved Families Call for State Commission Oct 7 Probe
By The Media Line Staff
More than 200 former hostages, relatives of freed hostages, and families of those killed signed a public letter demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorize a state commission of inquiry into October 7. The letter was released by the October Council, a group of bereaved families pressing for a formal investigation, on the 800th day since the Hamas-led assault. Although surviving hostages returned to Israel and the remains of the deceased were recovered, the family of Ran Gvili still wait to receive his remains from Gaza.
“We call on the Israeli government to stop evading, stop postponing, stop whitewashing, and establish a state commission of inquiry immediately,” the letter states. “We demand truth, justice, and accountability.” It adds that if the government does not intend to establish such a body, “vacate your seats and let the nation decide.”
The signatories say the inquiry must examine the full scope of October 7, including the breakdown of defense and intelligence systems, unanswered pleas for help, and the prolonged abandonment of Gaza border communities, civilians, and soldiers.
They also demand scrutiny of decisions made after the attack, including the conduct of negotiations for the return of hostages, repeated delays, coordination between political and military leaders, and the impact of public statements and actions on the physical and mental health of hostages.
The letter stresses that a commission cannot include those under investigation and must be empowered to compel testimony, examine documents, and issue enforceable conclusions. “Only such a body will be able to reach the full truth, not just that which is convenient to reveal,” it says.
In an interview on Ynet, Freed hostage Louis Har urged the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, attack, saying the law cannot be altered to shield decision-makers from accountability.
Har, who was rescued from captivity in a military operation, said an independent state probe is essential to determine what went wrong and to draw binding lessons. “We need to learn lessons and know exactly what happened,” he said. “Such a commission needs to be established so we know exactly what happened. A state commission of inquiry. You can’t be above the law and change it when something doesn’t suit you. We need to search for the truth.”
Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
