Israel weighs special military tribunal to prosecute Oct. 7 Nukhba terrorists

Defense Minister Israel Katz and Justice Minister Yariv Levin discuss the possible establishment of a dedicated military tribunal to prosecute terrorists from Hamas’s elite Nukhba force for their role in the October 7, 2023, massacre.

The discussion – held with senior IDF and Justice Ministry officials, including Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Itai Ofir – examines creating a special legal framework to try those responsible for what officials describe as “war crimes and crimes against humanity,” with Katz instructing the military to begin work on the legal, operational and international implications of such a move.

“The State of Israel is committed to punishing the perpetrators of the massacre in a way that makes it unequivocally clear — anyone who harms Israeli civilians will be held fully accountable,” Katz says.

The meeting comes shortly after National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party published updated points of controversial legislation it is advancing to impose a mandatory death penalty on terrorists involved in the October 7 attack.

The bill, which passed a first reading in November and is now being debated in the Knesset National Security Committee, would allow military courts to impose capital punishment on Palestinian terrorists by a simple majority of judges.