Israel’s October 7 tribunal: Show trial of Palestinians or justice?
Key takeaways
- Observers describe a climate in which the chances of justice in the military tribunals are slim.
- The impact of the October 7 attack, in which 1,139 were killed and 250 abducted, was amplified in Israel through endless repetition of videos of the attack.
- Some Israeli parliamentarians have made their positions clear on what they hope will be the result of the televised trials of an estimated 300 detained Palestinians.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Observers describe a climate in which the chances of justice in the military tribunals are slim.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has pushed for executions of Palestinians [File: Oren Ben Hakoon/Reuters]By Simon Speakman Cordall Published On 22 May 202622 May 2026Israel approved the establishment of a special military tribunal to try Palestinians accused of participating in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel earlier this month, and will give the body the power to impose the death penalty.
But analysts, campaigners, and international organisations – including the United Nations – have all questioned whether there will be any real justice delivered by the tribunal, and instead consider it a way of seeking revenge on imprisoned Palestinians.