Israel's Defence Minister Calls for State Inquiry over Hamas's Oct 7 Attack

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has called for the establishment of a national inquiry committee into Hamas's October 7 attack, which will also probe the conduct of the government, military, and other security agencies.

The planned National Commission of Inquiry would be an independent body headed by a retired judge with wide-ranging investigative powers, Xinhua news agency reported.

At the graduation ceremony of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officers' course, Gallant said on Thursday that the commission "should be objective ... it should check all of us—the government, the army, and the security agencies. It should check me as well as the Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu), Army Chief, Shin Bet Chief, the IDF, and the national bodies".

Gallant is the most senior official to call for a national investigation into the attack, during which thousands of Hamas militants caught Israel by surprise, crossing from Gaza and killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping about 250 others.