Jerusalem, 3 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit delegated to Deputy President Noam Sohlberg the authority to determine the judges who will hear petitions calling for a state commission of inquiry into the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
Amit said he is stepping aside to maintain impartiality, noting that if a commission were established, he would be responsible for selecting its members under the 1969 law.
The petitions, filed after a November conditional order against the government, argue that a state commission is the only independent way to investigate the catastrophe. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says such a commission will be politically biased. The government seeks to instead establish a politcally appointed commission.
The High Court is set to hear the petitions with an expanded seven-judge panel.