israeli-hc-halts-comptroller-s-oct-7th-probe

On Sunday, Israel’s High Court of Justice ordered State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman to suspend his investigation into the failures of the security services on October 7. The suspension will last until a hearing on the matter in July.

 

The comptroller, who also serves as the state ombudsman, periodically releases reports auditing Israel's preparedness and the effectiveness of government policies.

 

The suspension followed petitions from government watchdog groups. These groups argued that the security issues were beyond the comptroller’s mandate, claiming that the probe could damage the army operationally and would not address the political responsibility for decisions made before Hamas’s attacks on communities near the Gaza border.

 

In May, High Court Justice Gila Canfy-Steinitz had ruled against stopping the State Comptroller’s probe. However, she decided on Sunday to suspend Englman’s investigation after reviewing classified responses from security agencies.

 

She cited the complex security reality, the broad scope of the investigation, which includes combat support systems and core operational issues, and the need for preparation to respond to the investigation at the current time as reasons for the suspension.

 

Englman’s probe faced opposition from Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and the State Attorney’s office. In February, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi ordered an internal military probe into the October 7 failures.

 

This inquiry will investigate the IDF General Staff, military intelligence, the deficiencies of Gaza border defences, and general operational matters. However, its mandate does not include decisions made by the political echelon.

 

A separate independent commission of inquiry, which will have a broader mandate including political failures, is expected to take place after the war. Such commissions have broader authority to summon witnesses and collect evidence and are typically headed by a senior Supreme Court justice.

 

The October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israeli communities near the Gaza border resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people. Additionally, 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage. Of the 116 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed to be dead.