State inquiry or resign: Over 200 captivity survivors, families demand action from Netanyahu
Survivors and relatives of fallen hostages urge the immediate formation of an independent commission to investigate October 7 failures
More than 200 former hostages, family members of captivity survivors, and relatives of those killed in Hamas captivity sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday demanding that he immediately establish a state commission of inquiry into Israel’s handling of the October 7 attack and its aftermath or step down from office if he refuses.
The letter was issued on the 800th day since the October 7 massacre and abductions, as many of those seized by Hamas have since returned to Israel. Survivors and families described what they see as a persistent failure by the government to fully investigate and take responsibility for events before, during, and after the assault.
Signatories included captivity survivors such as Yarden Bibas, whose wife Shiri and children Ariel and Kfir were murdered in captivity; Arbel Yehud; Ariel and Sharon Cunio; Amit Soussana; and Raz and Ohad Ben Ami, as well as family members including the sister of Eden Yerushalmi, who was murdered in captivity, and John and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hirsch was also killed while held hostage by Hamas.
In their appeal, the group wrote, “We call on the Israeli government to stop evading, stop delaying, stop whitewashing, and immediately establish a state commission of inquiry. We demand truth, justice, and taking responsibility.” They added that if the prime minister does not intend to authorize such an inquiry, which they said the majority of Israelis support, then he should “step down and let the people decide.”
The letter argued that a state commission of inquiry is the only mechanism capable of thoroughly examining the sequence of failures that preceded October 7, the actions taken during the attack, and decision-making processes in hostage negotiations and war management. It also called for scrutiny of how diplomatic and military leadership coordinated their responses and how those decisions affected both the living and deceased hostages.
The call reflects growing pressure on the government amid ongoing debate over how to investigate the multifaceted crises of October 7 and its aftermath. While the government has discussed alternative investigative bodies, the survivors and families insist that only a fully independent, state-level commission has the authority and credibility to uncover the full truth.