Dozens of former hostages and relatives of hostages who were killed signed a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for the immediate establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the government’s handling of the war and the hostage issue.
The letter, sent on the 800th day since the attack, says only an independent, fully empowered state commission can investigate “without fear, without bias and without limitations” the chain of failures leading up to Oct. 7, events during the attack itself and the decision-making processes surrounding the hostages and the conduct of the war.
The signatories include former hostages Yarden Bibas, Arbel Yehud, Ariel and Sharon Cunio, Louis Har, Gadi Mozes, Amit Soussana and Ohad Ben Ami, among others. The initiative is also backed by the “October Council,” a forum representing more than 1,500 bereaved families, families of hostages and direct survivors of the Hamas-led assault nearly two years ago.
In the letter, the signatories demanded that Netanyahu immediately establish a state commission of inquiry or step aside. “We call on the government of Israel to stop evading, stop delaying, stop covering up and immediately establish a state commission of inquiry,” they wrote. “We demand truth. We demand justice. We demand accountability.”
The families said the commission must investigate the collapse of Israel’s defense and intelligence systems, unanswered calls for help and what they described as the abandonment of communities near the Gaza border for hours during the attack. They also called for a full examination of events since Oct. 7, including decision-making in negotiations over the return of hostages, repeated delays, coordination between political and military leaders and the impact of public statements and actions by officials on the fate, health and well-being of those abducted.
“A commission of inquiry is not a political tool,” the letter said. “It cannot be composed of those under investigation. It must be transparent, professional and have full authority to order examinations, question witnesses, review documents and reach clear conclusions, including the mandate to implement them.”
The signatories warned that delays carry heavy costs, including the risk of distorted testimony, lost evidence and an inability to uncover the full truth. “Truth is not a privilege. It is the duty of the State of Israel to its citizens,” the letter said, adding that without accountability, the country cannot honor the memory of those killed or ensure such an attack never happens again.
In a separate statement, the October Council said that 800 days after what it described as the worst disaster in Israel’s history, the government continues to turn its back on bereaved families, former hostages and the public. “No political committee will cover up the truth,” the group said, again calling for a full state commission of inquiry.
Netanyahu addressed the issue last week in the Knesset, saying public support for a state commission would drop if Israelis were asked whether they agree that Supreme Court justices should appoint its members. He argued instead for what he described as a more “balanced” national commission of inquiry. “The best way to reach national consensus after a major disaster is a balanced commission,” Netanyahu said. “Who could oppose that? Only those who do not want the truth to be revealed.”