Full Breakdown
Israel Allocates Over 1 Billion Shekels for Special Military Tribunal to Try October 7 Terrorists
6/5/2026, 4:21:43 AM
Funding Allocation
On 2 April 2026 the cabinet approved just over one billion shekels (? $350 million) for a special military tribunal to try October 7 attackers. The money, earmarked for 2026-2029, will fund a court complex, prosecution offices, an IDF command center, personnel and infrastructure.
Background
On 7 October 2023, Hamas militants killed about 1,200 civilians, abducted 251 hostages and committed rape. In March 2026 the Knesset passed a death-penalty law that could not apply retroactively, prompting the Nukhba Law to create a special military tribunal with authority to impose capital punishment for genocide and to bar release via prisoner-exchange deals.
Key Actors
Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich presented the budget as a moral duty to bring justice for the “most brutal massacre since the Holocaust.” Katz said the funding sends a clear deterrent message; Smotrich called it a moral obligation that warns adversaries of their fate.
Financial Scope & Dispute
The one-billion-shekel allocation is about half the Finance Ministry’s 2-billion estimate and far below the Defense Ministry’s 5-billion projection. Ministries disagreed on whether the sum can cover construction, technology and staffing, exposing an intra-governmental dispute. The tribunal plans to indict 400 suspects, including about 300 Nukhba members.
Conflicting Reports
Sources give three cost figures: the Finance Ministry’s 2-billion estimate, the Defense Ministry’s 5-billion projection, and the approved 1-billion allocation. No plan has been released to bridge the shortfall, leaving uncertainty about securing resources for the tribunal’s infrastructure and operations.
Quotes
- “The State of Israel will bring to justice the perpetrators of the most brutal massacre committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and will send a clear and unequivocal message to all our enemies: whoever slaughters, murders, rapes and kidnaps Israeli citizens will pay the full price.” — Israel Katz, Defense Minister
- “Israel will ensure justice is served against the perpetrators of the most brutal massacre committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and will send a clear and unequivocal message to all our enemies: whoever massacres, murders, rapes, and kidnaps Israeli civilians will pay the full price.” — Israel Katz, Defense Minister (statement after budget approval)
- “The budget was being allocated to advance this moral obligation and to ensure that all those who wish us harm know their fate and what awaits them.” — Bezalel Smotrich, Finance Minister
Upcoming Steps
Construction of the court complex is slated for 2026; the tribunal is expected to hold hearings once the facilities are ready. Video and audio will be archived in the State Archives and streamed online. The tribunal is authorized through 2029, after which legislative or budgetary action may be needed.
