The families of the lookout soldiers who fell at the Nahal Oz outpost during the massacre on October 7th submitted a petition yesterday (Sunday) to the Israeli Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice (Bagatz). In their petition, they ask the IDF to release the radio communications and footage from their daughters’ final shift.
“This is the memory we have left,” said the families of the fallen soldiers, reflecting the deep longing for any last piece of information, any final moment with their loved ones.
The petition was submitted on behalf of the parents of ten lookout soldiers who fell at the Nahal Oz outpost: Adi Landman, Maya Vialobo Polo, Shirat Yam Amar, Shai Ashram, Hadar Miriam Cohen, Aviv Hajaj, Shachaf Nisani, Roni Eshel, Shirel Mor, and Yam Glass. The parents of Noa Marciano, who was abducted from the outpost and later murdered in Hamas captivity in Gaza, also joined the petition.
“We never thought we would have to reach the point of filing a petition against the army,” the families shared. “This is a very hard and sad day for us, and we hope the Supreme Court will stand by our side and instruct the Chief of Staff and the military authorities to allow us to receive the recordings and footage of our daughters.”
The families’ request is simple yet emotionally charged: they seek access to the recordings—audio and video—of the 24 hours leading up to the massacre and the final shift of each daughter. For the grieving parents, these are their daughters’ last moments, priceless memories that could offer some small comfort amidst their immense loss.
Despite repeated requests to the military, the families have not received a satisfactory response. In July, through their lawyer, Gilad Yitzhak Bar-Tal, they formally requested the material from the Chief of Staff, giving a 21-day deadline. The army’s response was that more time was needed to formulate a position, after which communication ceased.
The petition to the Supreme Court represents the families’ final attempt to find some solace and preserve the memory of their daughters. It is a plea for justice, understanding, and compassion from a system faced with families whose lives have been shattered.
