JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday struck down a controversial judicial overhaul proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This move is expected to exacerbate political tension in the country, especially as it comes in the midst of a war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The judicial overhaul had sparked months of protests after Netanyahu’s reelection as prime minister a year ago.

Israel’s highest court overturned a law that prevented Supreme Court judges from overruling government decisions by declaring them unreasonable. This law was part of Netanyahu’s plan to curb the judicial branch’s power and give more authority to the national legislature. The opposition accused Netanyahu of deliberately eroding the country’s democratic system as he faced multiple personal legal battles over alleged corruption.

The war with Hamas, sparked by the militant group’s unprecedented terror attack on southern Israel, brought the country together but did not resolve the underlying division stoked by Netanyahu’s formation of a far-right government. Just hours before the Supreme Court’s decision, Israel’s military confirmed plans for a drawdown of troops in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Israel has vowed to press ahead with the military offensive until Hamas is crushed and the more than 100 hostages still held in Gaza are freed, amidst growing international pressure to scale back the offensive in Gaza. The war has led to a significant number of casualties on both sides and has displaced a large portion of Gaza’s population.

The decision by Israel’s Supreme Court to strike down part of Netanyahu’s planned judicial overhaul could reopen the fissures in Israeli society that preceded the war against Hamas. The fighting in Gaza has also threatened to spread across the region, with Israel engaging in battles with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen attacking civilian cargo ships in the Red Sea.

As tensions remain high, the United States has sent warships to the Mediterranean and Red Seas to provide protection for Israel, underscoring concerns that the fighting could widen. Amidst all these developments, it is clear that the situation in the region remains volatile as Israel continues to navigate political, military, and judicial challenges.