Israel Approves Tribunal for 7 October Attack Suspects

The Israeli parliament has approved a law establishing a special military tribunal for Palestinian militants involved in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack. The legislation was backed by 93 of the Knesset’s 120 lawmakers, a rare show of unity between the government and the opposition.

The tribunal will try an estimated 200–300 fighters detained in Israel after the attack on southern Israel, in which at least 1,200 people were killed, most of them civilians. The precise number of detainees is classified, and the suspects have not yet been charged.

The attack was led by fighters from Hamas’s elite Nukhba force, who crossed the border from the Gaza Strip and rampaged through southern Israeli villages, army bases, roads and a music festival. They also took 251 hostages back to Gaza.

The special military court will be based in Jerusalem and presided over by a three-judge panel. It could also try suspects captured later in Gaza who are accused of taking part in the attack or of holding or abusing Israeli hostages.

Proceedings will be public, with major hearings broadcast live. Defendants will attend only key hearings in person, while other hearings will be conducted by video link. Survivors and victims’ families will also be allowed to attend parts of the proceedings in person.

The court will have the authority to impose the death penalty, with any death sentence triggering an automatic appeal under the special tribunal system. The last person executed in Israel was Nazi official Adolf Eichmann, who was hanged in 1962.

Israeli lawmakers said the law was intended to ensure a fair trial and accountability for crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes against the Jewish people. Critics, however, have warned of due process concerns and the risk that the trials could become politicized.

Hamas has condemned the law, saying it “serves as a cover for the war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza”.

Israel responded to the 7 October attack by launching an assault on Gaza that has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and left much of the enclave in ruins.

(reuters, max)