There have been extraordinary developments in Israel in the past 24 hours
There have been extraordinary developments in Israel in the past 24 hours. The High Court has intervened to stop an investigation into the events of 7 October; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disbanded his war cabinet; and his son has gone public saying his father was betrayed by not being alerted to a warning of the 7 October attacks, discussed by the IDF and Shin Bet on the night of October 6.
Hostilities on the Lebanese border have been heating up with reports Israel is preparing to go to war against Hezbollah. The Israeli army is implementing humanitarian ‘pauses’ to allow aid into Gaza, which the prime minister, Mr Netanyahu, has rebuked them for. Meantime funerals for 11 Israeli soldiers were held throughout Israel on Sunday, all of whom died in combat in Gaza. One of them Staff Sgt. Tzur Abraham, 22, died Sunday morning.
The events come in the shadow of a UN report late last month which disclosed that the Israeli military was involved in the 7 October attacks, and intentionally killed Israeli civilians to avoid them being taken captive by Hamas. The UN report details at a number of instances where the Hannibal Directive was adopted.
Separately, on Sunday night the Israeli cabinet decided it would impose measures against countries that have indicated they will recognise Palestinian statehood; agreed to act against the Palestinian Authority for steps it has taken with international bodies; and intensify settlement activity in the West Bank.
“The Security Cabinet discussed steps to strengthen settlement in Judea and Samaria (Israel’s name for the West Bank), including in response to the countries that unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state after October 7, as well as a series of responses against the Palestinian Authority following its actions against Israel in international bodies”, Mr Netanyahu’s office said in a statement released on Monday.
“The Defense Minister and the Attorney General requested additional time to comment on several of the proposed clauses. The prime minister instructed that all of the proposals be submitted to a vote at the next Security Cabinet meeting”, the statement said.
The events over Sunday and Monday throw further light on why it is the Israeli government and its military and security forces, while showing concern in their rhetoric, have done little to secure the release of hostages. The services have rescued four captives in 8 months of intense bombardment and ground invasions, killing around 38,000 people, most of them civilians. Three hostages were in fact shot dead by the Israeli army when they, while clearly unarmed, approached soldiers waving a white flag, with their arms in the air, and saying in Hebrew they were hostages.
Hostilities on the Israeli and Lebanese border are also intensifying, with many of the belief Israel is looking to go to war against Hezbollah. Amos Hochstein, U.S. President Joe Biden’s special adviser on the Middle East, arrived in Israel on Monday with the specific task of trying to de-escalate the tensions in the north.
On Sunday Israel’s Supreme Court, the highest court in the country ordered a halt of the investigation into the October 7 attacks.
