Bereaved families again pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to establish a state commission of inquiry into the failures preceding the October 7 massacre, as he continued his cross-examination in the Tel Aviv District Court. The emotional exchange briefly disrupted the hearing in Netanyahu’s criminal trial and underscored the growing public pressure on the government to authorize a full, independent investigation.
Four members of the October Council - a civil forum of bereaved families advocating for a state inquiry - arrived at the courtroom: Eyal Eshel, father of IDF observer Sgt. Roni Eshel; Liad Bar-Am, father of Sgt. Neta Bar-Am, killed in battle at the Nahal Oz base; Anat Ben-Ami, mother of Shani Ben-Ami, murdered at the Nova music festival; and Reut Recht-Edri, whose son Ido was also killed at the festival.
Court security believed the families intended to raise photos of their loved ones inside the courtroom. Although no posters were displayed, guards instructed the families to leave, prompting a commotion. The parents vehemently denied that they had tried to raise signs and refused to exit.
Netanyahu’s defense attorney, Amit Hadad, intervened on their behalf, asking the judges to allow them to remain quietly in the room. The judges paused the hearing. Security personnel then apologized for the misunderstanding, and Hadad continued calming the situation, suggesting that the families could coordinate a formal message to Netanyahu or even a conversation with him outside the courtroom framework.
Once the session resumed, Eshel apologized to both Netanyahu and the judges, explaining that the parents had acted respectfully and that “all we wanted was to look the prime minister in the eyes and ask for a state commission of inquiry.” Netanyahu did not look in their direction at any point.
Bereaved families demand answers
Earlier, before the courtroom was cleared, Recht-Edri expressed frustration, saying, “Bereaved families came to sit here respectfully; what we’re seeing is cowardice,” adding that Netanyahu had refused to meet with them for two years.
The incident highlighted the sharpened national debate over whether to establish a state commission of inquiry - the only investigative mechanism with full subpoena powers and independence. Bereaved families argue that immediate action is overdue and that only such a commission can credibly examine the cascade of failures before and during October 7.
As calls for accountability mount and public scrutiny intensifies, Wednesday’s confrontation injected further moral and political weight into a demand the government has so far resisted, even as the issue continues to hover over Israel’s political landscape.