Israel’s Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling on Monday, overturning a key component of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial overhaul. The decision is likely to reignite divisions in Israeli society which were temporarily put aside during the ongoing war against Hamas. The court’s 8-7 majority vote invalidated a law enacted in July that aimed to prevent judges from overturning government decisions they deemed “unreasonable.” Critics of Netanyahu had argued that this move would open the door to corruption and improper appointments.

The overturned law was the first step in a planned overhaul of the Israeli justice system, which was put on hold after Hamas militants carried out a cross-border attack in October. The attack led to a war in Gaza, with nearly 22,000 people reported dead by Palestinian health officials. The court’s ruling was a significant blow to Netanyahu and his hard-line allies, who have sought to curb the power of judges and limit the Supreme Court’s authority. The Prime Minister’s opponents see the overhaul as a power grab by Netanyahu, who is currently on trial for corruption charges.

Before the outbreak of the war, hundreds of thousands of Israelis had taken to the streets in mass protests against the government. Military reservists had also threatened to stop reporting for duty if the overhaul was passed, adding to the pressure on Netanyahu’s government. The U.S. had previously urged Netanyahu to postpone the reforms and seek a broad consensus across the political spectrum, but the court’s decision on Monday came as a blow to the Prime Minister’s proposed changes. With the court issue, a constitutional showdown may be approaching as Netanyahu’s government could choose to ignore the ruling, setting the stage for further tensions between the judicial and legislative branches of government.