Israeli defense minister calls for state inquiry into Oct. 7 Hamas attack

JERUSALEM

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called on Thursday for a state investigation involving him, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi over the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack and the failure to prevent it.

“There is a need for an official commission to investigate all of us, including myself and the prime minister,” Gallant said at a graduation ceremony of military officers. “We need a national-level investigation to clarify the facts. A state inquiry commission is necessary.”

Gallant emphasized that the commission should be objective and thorough, investigating the government, the military, and security agencies. “It must investigate me, the prime minister, and the chief of staff,” he asserted.

Israel has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians since the surprise cross-border incursion that claimed 1,200 lives and took another 250 as hostages. One hundred and twenty are still held in Gaza, according to Netanyahu.

Israeli actions have triggered a humanitarian disaster and an ongoing trial over alleged genocide at the International Court of Justice.

Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli army acknowledged its failure to protect the settlement of Be'eri, near the Gaza Strip, during the attack over nine months ago.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio