Israel army probe reveals ‘complete failure’ in preventing October 7 attack

Hamas’ October 7 attack was a “complete failure,” according to the Israeli army, which acknowledged for years that it had underestimated the capabilities of the Palestinian organization.

The Israeli army investigation “failed in its mission to protect Israeli civilians,” according to the summary released on Thursday.

Following the publication of the investigation, a senior Israeli army official declared to reporters that “October 7 was a complete failure, the IDF (military) failed to fulfill its mission to protect Israeli civilians. Where was the IDF when too many civilians perished that day, asking themselves in their hearts or screaming? The official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, said.

The investigation found that there was no lack of preparation and ability to respond to an attack because Hamas was not interested in a full-scale conflict and that Israel would have ample warning in the event of an attack.

Additionally, it discovered that Israel had focused its intelligence and military efforts too heavily on “intelligence, barriers, and defensive measures alone,” and was thus caught off guard by this.

Questions have been raised about the handling of the attack by the Netanyahu administration and the army following the deadly attack that killed an estimated 1,139 Israelis and sparked the Gaza war, which has claimed the lives of more than 48, 000 Palestinians.

More than 200 people were also taken prisoner during the attack.

Benjamin Netanyahu has been subject to a lot of repression. Aharon Haliva, Israel’s spy chief, resigned in 2024 as a result of the incident. Israel’s top general Herzi Halevi resigned in January, citing “terrible” security and intelligence “failures” that led to the attack.

Yaron Finkelman, the army’s southern commander, also resigned.

“I bear my own responsibility, and I also bear the full responsibility for all of you,” I declare. “I bear the responsibility for you, as I did when I led the army on October 7.” And I express my gratitude to every subordinate of mine who blundered as a result of my own error,” Halevi had said.

The investigation determined that the Hamas attack took place in three different waves with more than 5, 000 people entering Israel at its peak.

More than 1, 000 members of Hamas, the elite force, “infiltrated” Israel under the guise of heavy fire in the first wave, according to the report. They allegedly caused chaos as the army struggled to retake control of the Israeli military’s command and control centers as they destroyed the country’s communications system.

According to the investigation, the second wave saw the arrival of about 2, 000 fighters, while the third wave saw the arrival of hundreds more, along with a number of thousand civilians.

Only a few hundred of Hamas’ fighters, according to Hamas, carried out the attack.

In an effort to stop Palestinian fighters from kidnapping, an earlier investigation led to the discovery that Israel’s own military may have opened fire on and killed Israeli civilians during the Hamas attack.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid called for Netanyahu to establish a formal commission to investigate the attack after the release of the inquiry.

Source: Aljazeera