Bereaved families of victims of the October 7 Hamas attack and IDF soldiers demonstrated Thursday outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, as the High Court hears petitions demanding the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the attack and the war that followed.
Ruby Chen, father of deceased hostage Itay, said, “We came on the day of our son Itai’s funeral, in front of all of Israel, and we said we will hold accountable those responsible.” The family said they were still seeking answers after “760 days of hell,” including why troops were sent into battle without adequate warning or reinforcement, and how Hamas was able to carry out the October 7 attack and abduct civilians into Gaza.
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Ruby Chen, father of hostage Itay, speaks outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem during a demonstration calling for a Oct. 7 state commission of inquiry, Thursday. Credit: Itai Cohen
Ruby Chen, father of hostage Itay, speaks outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem during a demonstration calling for a Oct. 7 state commission of inquiry, Thursday. Credit: Itai Cohen
Chen said that “Since October 7, nearly a thousand days have passed and the truth has not yet been investigated. What did they know, who knew, what was done and what was not done. Responsibility has not been taken and the truth has not come out.” He added, “We cannot be asked to bury our brave children and the truth with them.”
The petitions, filed by civil society organizations, argue that only a state commission can provide an independent and professional examination of the events. The court has already ordered the government to justify its refusal to establish such a body.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supports the petitions, saying a state commission is the “appropriate legal tool” for examining the events and warning that continued delay harms the search for truth.
Outside the Supreme Court
The government opposes the move, arguing it has discretion over the form of any inquiry and instead advancing plans for a government-appointed panel.
The families called on the justices not to yield to pressure and to issue a binding ruling. “Do not be afraid, do not give in to pressure. Stand with the truth, with justice, with the families,” they said. They added that if the government refuses to establish a state commission of inquiry, the court must intervene.