Eighteen months after the October 7 massacre, the Southern District Attorney’s Office has prepared indictments against 22 Nukhba terrorists who participated in the massacre in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, Yediot Achronot reported on Sunday. According to the report, the indictments were hastily filed after the US indicated it was ready to file its own indictments against the Nukhba terrorists who murdered and abducted US citizens. Israel quickly conveyed a message to the Trump administration to delay filing US indictments in order “not to embarrass Israel.” The indictments were made possible thanks to new materials obtained by Military Intelligence (AMAN) and the Shin Bet in recent months from the Gaza Strip. The State Attorney’s Office also submitted a request to the Attorney General to advance nine new bills to facilitate the trials of the Nukhba terrorists, such as the possibility of holding one mass trial for hundreds of terrorists. The Shin Bet has been working and continues to work to obtain evidence from every area in the Strip that the IDF forces entered. Many of the pieces of evidence, such as documents, videos, and photographic materials, were obtained thanks to the expansion of the war in Gaza before the ceasefire and the seizure of media and computer materials in the Strip. A police source told Ynet: “The Shin Bet was able to tell us about certain detained terrorists that as soon as it enters a certain area in Gaza, for example, Rafah, it will bring evidence about them from there, and did indeed bring it. I don’t remember such an event where a criminal investigation and the filing of indictments were so influenced by the IDF’s active combat progress.” Israel has custody of about 300 terrorists who participated in the October 7 massacre, some of whom were arrested in Israel shortly after the massacre, and others who were arrested later in Gaza during the war. The government does not intend to include these terrorists in any future hostage release deal. (YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated on the first day of Chol HaMoed in Israel)