Special to WorldTribune.com

JERUSALEM — Israel has been bracing for an official inquiry into the latest war with Hamas.

Officials said the military and government have been preparing for at least two major investigations into the indecisive 50-day war with the Gaza Strip in July and August 2014. They said investigators from the Knesset, or parliament, as well as the state comptroller have sought to examine witnesses and documents on the conduct of the war.

“Nobody is wasting any time, and the goal is to release initial findings within months if not sooner,” an official said.

The Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee has been summoning ministers of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as military chiefs to testify on war decisions. The focus of the committee has been whether Israel was aware and prepared for massive Palestinian missile and rocket strikes as well as attack tunnels that penetrated the Jewish state.

The investigation of the comptroller was expected to concentrate on civil defense preparations as well as whether the Cabinet drafted a war strategy. The probe could result in recommendations for the dismissal of ministers and military commanders.

Ministers have already told the panels that they were left in the dark regarding the conduct of the war by Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. Some of them have asserted that the military’s General Staff failed to present feasible plans to defeat Hamas, including the launch of a major ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli intelligence community has also been divided by the investigations. Military Intelligence has rejected accusations that it failed to warn the government of the impending war, saying Hamas did not plan a major confrontation with Israel. In contrast, the Israel Security Agency asserted that Hamas’ military wing worked with Iran to establish a credible front against Israel.

Officials said Netanyahu’s decisions during the war would come under special scrutiny. They said the prime minister was believed to have been involved in approving daily operations as well as Hamas targets.
For his part, Netanyahu stressed that his decisions were taken in coordination with Ya’alon and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz.

“It is clear that this could end up in a political battle to replace Netanyahu,” the official said.

  Benjamin Netanyahu, Gaza Strip, Israel’s Knesset conducting two major investigations of 50-day war with Hamas, Moshe Ya’alon