Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman and Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi from the ruling Likud party are expected to join the ministerial panel tasked with determining the mandate of the government’s controversial commission of inquiry into failures surrounding the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, according to Hebrew media reports Monday.

The potential appointment of Silman has drawn particular outrage from bereaved families, as the minister has previously voiced objection to the idea of a commission of inquiry, and has, like other members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, sought to deflect blame for the October 7 attacks, instead suggesting that the role of previous governments needs to be examined.

Responding to the news, the October Council, made up of bereaved families and relatives of former hostages, said: “In his usual spin, Netanyahu decided to add Minister Idit Silman to the ministerial ‘cover-up’ committee — the same minister who said: ‘A state commission of inquiry? What........

© The Times of Israel