Overview
- The Knesset passed the law with 93 of 120 votes Monday night, recording no “no” votes as other lawmakers abstained or were absent.
- The tribunal, based in Jerusalem, will hold public proceedings with key hearings streamed live, use a three‑judge panel, and allow capital punishment for certain convictions under existing statutes.
- Israeli authorities hold an estimated 200–300 detainees linked to the attack, and Israeli media report prosecutors may bring cases against more than 400 suspects, including those accused of holding or abusing hostages.
- An Israeli civil commission released a 300‑page report after two years of work, finding 13 recurring patterns of sexualized violence supported by over 10,000 photos and videos and hundreds of interviews, which it classifies as possible war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocidal acts.
- Legal experts and rights groups warn the military‑court format and live broadcasts could undermine fair‑trial rights, Hamas denies systematic sexual violence, and the war’s toll stands at about 1,200 killed in Israel on Oct. 7 and more than 72,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza according to the enclave’s health authority.