Day 774 - Can a governmental probe into Oct. 7 be independent?

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Legal and settlements correspondent Jeremy Sharon joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin of the ruling Likud party will head a ministerial panel to determine the mandate of the government’s commission of inquiry into failures surrounding the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023. Since the murders and atrocities, the government has resisted establishing an investigative body to thoroughly examine how such a disastrous military calamity could befall the country. We discuss first why the change of heart and ask whether the commission will be independent.

Security forces and Civil Administration personnel on Monday conducted an evacuation and demolition operation against an illegal settlement outpost in the Gush Etzion region of the West Bank, in an apparent response to accusations from a local council head that there was “anarchy” in the area. Sharon delves into several reasons why this evacuation is significant, especially under the current coalition.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Levin to lead Ben Gvir, Smotrich and others in delineating government’s Oct. 7 probe

Will government’s plan to set up its own Oct. 7 probe prompt top court to intervene?

Several officers wounded in clash with settlers at demolition of illegal outpost

Jewish extremists burn Palestinian homes and cars in West Bank; IDF searching for perps

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: A candle bearing the portrait of 24-year-old Yulia Chaban, who was killed on the beach in Zikim during Hamas' October 7, 2023, attacks, is left inside a bomb shelter on the beach in the southern Israeli Kibbutz of Zikim, the closest Israeli beach to the Gaza Strip, on October 16, 2025. (Maya Levin / AFP)

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