Israel: Eisenkot bloc proposes October 7 probe and unveils anti-Netanyahu agenda as new Knesset sworn in

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   Eisenkot bloc submits Oct. 7 probe bill as new Knesset sworn in

   Israel's 25th Knesset was sworn in on Sunday while Gadi Eisenkot's National Unity bloc immediately submitted legislation to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks and to cancel the government's judicial overhaul. The moves signal an opposition push to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition from the first parliamentary session. Eisenkot, a former chief of staff and war-cabinet member, is attempting to assemble an alternative government before a midnight deadline for the current mandate. Netanyahu's Likud party dismissed the bills as political theater.

   Why it matters

   The October 7 Hamas assault killed roughly 1,200 people and triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, but no official state inquiry has been launched despite widespread public demand. Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan, paused after the attacks, remains a flashpoint that previously drove mass protests and a constitutional crisis. With the Knesset convening, the opposition's legislative opening salvos test whether a cross-ideological anti-Netanyahu bloc can cohere despite deep policy divides on religion, state and Palestinian issues.

   What is confirmed

   • Israel's 25th Knesset was sworn in on Sunday, 15 November 2026.
   • Gadi Eisenkot's National Unity bloc submitted a bill to form a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks.
   • The same bloc submitted a bill to cancel the government's judicial overhaul legislation.
   • Eisenkot is a former IDF chief of staff and served in the war cabinet after October 7.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Eisenkot is actively trying to forge an alternative government before a midnight deadline for the current mandate.
   • Opponents of Netanyahu may need to cross ideological red lines to build a viable coalition.

   What to watch next

   • Whether the inquiry and judicial-reform bills reach a Knesset vote and their margin of support
   • Whether Eisenkot can secure 61 MK recommendations for an alternative government before the mandate expires
   • Netanyahu's counter-moves to hold his coalition together or trigger new elections
   Sources used for this update (6)

   1. Reuters — Israel's parliament sworn in as Eisenkot tries to forge a government
   2. The Times of Israel — On 1st day of Knesset, Eisenkot bloc submits bills to form Oct. 7 state inquiry, nix judicial overhaul
   3. dw.com — Israel: Eisenkot bloc proposes October 7 probe and unveils anti-Netanyahu agenda as new Knesset sworn in
   4. Al Jazeera — Netanyahu fights to stay relevant as Israel’s opposition closes in
   5. Fox News — Israel's political shake-up enters new phase as former PM plays kingmaker — and deadline looms
   6. NPR — Opponents of Israel's prime minister may have to cross a red line to build new coalition
   confidence 90%