Israel's Supreme Court Delays War Inquiry Decision Until After Elections

Israel's Supreme Court has postponed a decision on establishing a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7th until after the upcoming elections. In a brief ruling, the expanded court, led by Deputy President Noam Sohlberg, stated that an update will be submitted by January 15, 2027. This decision means no further hearings will occur until then, potentially delaying a final ruling to at least 3.5 years after the war began.

Three petitions have been pending since mid-2024, urging the government to form a state commission to investigate the failures preceding the outbreak of the "Swords of Iron" war. The Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, supports these petitions, viewing a state commission as the sole appropriate tool for examining the events.

The government argued that such a commission would not gain public trust and instead proposed a political inquiry with equal representation for the coalition and opposition. However, the opposition refused to participate, and this initiative stalled.

During a previous hearing, some justices suggested leaving the decision to the next government, especially as the inquiry is a central election issue. The petitioners opposed this, warning it would lead to further lengthy delays, with the commission potentially being established over three years after the events it needs to investigate.

In a separate but related matter, the Supreme Court restricted the outgoing State Comptroller, Matanyahu Engelman, from investigating core war issues like policy towards Hamas and intelligence failures. The court permitted him to examine numerous tactical matters, ruling that the Comptroller's authority is limited to reviewing administrative decisions, not the formulation of policy and strategy.