State Comptroller releases subjects intended for probe regarding IDF conduct on Oct. 7

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman published a list on Thursday of the subjects his office intends to probe regarding the October 7 massacre and the Israel-Hamas war, Israeli media said.

The publication was part of a document sent to the High Court in which the state comptroller asserted the interim order that bars his office from examining the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) should be removed. 

According to Israeli media, the document read, "There is not a single external body that investigates the functioning of the IDF and the Shin Bet, and This state of affairs is unacceptable and is completely against the law."

Englman further added, "State audit was not blocked in previous wars and during combat - on the contrary. The claims put forward by the IDF, the Shin Bet, and the Attorney General, according to which conducting state audits during combat harms the security of the state and the attention of the commanders, shows the lack of internalization of the importance of the audit and its role."

Englman stated regarding the Shin Bet, "The Shin Bet refused and refuses to cooperate comprehensively with the requests of the Comptroller's office on the matter. 

He added that the IDF was "'dragging its feet' and avoided holding a real discussion."

Subjects Englman intends to probe

The items listed by Englman as being at the heart of the examination were:

1. The higher education institutions' treatment of students serving in the reserves.2. The security in Sderot and Ofakim.3. The Collection, evacuation and identification of civilians killed on October 7.4. Evacuation of wounded to the hospitals in October 2023.5. The evacuation of the population and its absorption, including the decision-making process on the evacuation of the population from Gaza border communities.6. Effectiveness of the West Bank barrier in the Jerusalem area.7. Preservation of military production capabilities in Israel and the impact on Israel-Hamas war.8. ICT systems for national integration of information and treatment of evacuees before and during the outbreak of war.9. Public diplomacy during the Israel-Hamas war. 10. Agriculture branch during the Israel-Hamas war. 11. The situation of security and standby units in the Gaza border communities before, during and in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas war.12. The approval of the party in Re'im and its security.

Englman noted that the IDF agreed to cooperate only on the first point. 

A senior IDF official was quoted in Israeli media as saying, "At a time when the State of Israel is in a crucial period for the security of the state, while the IDF and its commanders are focused on achieving the goals of the war and making crucial decisions for security, the representatives of the State Comptroller are briefing against the IDF and its commanders.

"The IDF respects the state comptroller and works to allow any probe, and this without harming the war effort and command attention, just as the High Court of Justice determined," the official continued. 

"As the comptroller pointed out, the IDF agreed to conduct an examination on a number of issues immediately and on additional issues in a phased manner, depending on the security situation. It is puzzling why the comptroller rejected this proposal," the official concluded.