Families Sue Netanyahu Over Oct. 7 Failures, Allege Misleading State Controller

Fourteen Israeli families who lost loved ones in the October 7 Hamas attack or during their captivity have filed a criminal complaint against Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. The complaint, submitted to the State Attorney General and Israeli Police, accuses Netanyahu of providing misleading information to the State Controller to minimize his responsibility for the failures preceding the attack.

The legal action stems from journalistic investigations by Yedioth Ahronoth concerning a 55-page document, "Prime Minister's Response," submitted by Netanyahu to the State Controller in December 2025 and released in February 2026. This document outlines his account of the events leading up to the Hamas assault.

According to the families, journalistic probes, witness testimonies, and legal proceedings reveal that Netanyahu's document contains truncated quotes, omissions, and passages taken out of context. They suspect the Prime Minister intentionally presented an incomplete version of events to influence the State Controller's findings.

The complaint challenges several aspects of Israel's pre-October 7 policy toward Hamas. Specifically, it disputes Netanyahu's claims regarding directives to maintain calm in Gaza, his alleged knowledge of the "Jericho Wall" attack plan, proposals for targeted assassinations of Hamas officials, and Qatari fund transfers to the militant group. The families assert that Netanyahu's statements on these matters contradict evidence reported in investigations.

They are seeking an examination of suspicions of fraud, breach of trust, and other alleged offenses, particularly in relation to legislation governing the State Controller's work. Among the signatories are Hagit and Rubi Chen, parents of Itai Chen; Sharon and Eyal Eshel, parents of Roni Eshel; and Rauma and Gadi Kedem, who lost their daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren. The complaint was prepared by several lawyers and supported by Nava Ben-Or, a former Jerusalem District Court judge and former deputy attorney general for criminal affairs.

This lawsuit follows a broader call by dozens of bereaved families demanding the full publication of security meeting records, recordings, and logs from before the October 7 attack, seeking to fully clarify the failures and establish accountability.