Israel’s military legal division has once again postponed publishing its decisions on investigations into alleged war crimes committed by Israeli forces in Gaza, amid indications of pressure from outside the army’s legal establishment.

The delayed decisions were expected to address several high-profile attacks in which Palestinian civilians and humanitarian workers were killed, including the April 2024 strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen employees and the March 2025 killing of Palestinian Red Crescent and other emergency workers in Rafah.

The rulings would be the first Gaza-related decisions publicly announced by Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Itay Offir since he took office in November 2025.

The source of the latest delay remains unclear. However, The Jerusalem Post Reported  that it appeared to result from pressure originating outside the military’s legal division and possibly outside the army itself.

Israel’s Justice Ministry reportedly supported releasing the findings according to the original timetable. The Foreign Ministry did not deny seeking a delay but also declined to confirm that it had intervened.

Netanyahu’s office denies responsibility

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied responsibility for postponing the publication.

The newspaper noted, however, that Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have generally adopted a confrontational approach toward allegations of Israeli war crimes before the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice and other international bodies.

Before October 7, 2023, Israeli policy was reportedly to share military investigation findings with relevant parties as quickly and extensively as possible. Access to information about such investigations has become increasingly restricted during the war on Gaza.

Senior Israeli legal officials have expressed concern that information released by the military could later be used against Israel in international war-crimes proceedings.

The Israeli military issued only two brief updates on its investigations during 2024, with the last published in August of that year. Military officials repeatedly suggested that decisions in major cases were imminent, but no comprehensive findings were released.

The replacement of former army chief Herzi Halevi by Eyal Zamir reportedly contributed to one postponement, followed by further delays believed to have resulted from pressure outside the military.

Legal leadership turmoil

Another delay followed the resignation of former Military Advocate General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi in October 2025.

Tomer-Yerushalmi stepped down alongside several senior aides after admitting that she had illegally leaked video evidence connected to the alleged abuse of a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility.

After succeeding her, Offir required additional time to review the investigations and approve material for publication.

Some Israeli sources now hope the decisions will be released before Israel’s election scheduled for October 27, warning that electoral considerations could produce another delay.

Offir steps aside from World Central Kitchen case

Offir will not make the final decision in the World Central Kitchen investigation.

While serving as the Israeli Defence Ministry’s legal adviser, he worked closely with Col. Nochi Mendel, one of the senior commanders scrutinised in connection with the attack. Although the relationship did not legally require his recusal, Offir reportedly stepped aside to avoid questions about his objectivity or perceptions of favouritism.

The decision will instead be issued by Chief Military Prosecutor Col. Eli Levertov, who assumed his position in August 2025.

In the Palestinian Red Crescent case and other investigations, Offir is expected to assess soldiers’ actions within what the report describes as the broader circumstances of the war.

The newspaper said this approach would place a high evidentiary burden on proving that Israeli soldiers deliberately killed Palestinian civilians, rather than attributing their deaths to mistakes or the conditions of combat.

Despite that threshold, indictments or disciplinary measures remain possible in some cases. These reportedly include the filmed beating of an unarmed Palestinian in February and the killing of a Palestinian infant inside a vehicle earlier this month.

More than five additional cases involving alleged assaults by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are also reportedly being investigated or prosecuted.

The findings may ultimately be disclosed privately to international institutions rather than released publicly, allowing Israel to argue that it investigates and prosecutes its own personnel without attracting extensive media attention.