The Israeli army has admitted to a complete failure in preventing the October 7 attack by Hamas, acknowledging an underestimation of the group’s capabilities for several years. The army’s own investigation, released on Thursday, stated its mission to protect Israeli civilians was unsuccessful. A senior army official emphasized that the day of the attack was a “complete failure” for the IDF (military), leading to unnecessary civilian deaths and questioning where the IDF was during the incident.
The investigation highlighted the long-standing perception that Hamas was not interested in full-scale conflict and that Israel would be well-prepared in the event of an attack, resulting in inadequate preparedness and response capabilities. It also revealed that Israel focused too much on other fronts, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, and relied overly on intelligence, barriers, and defensive measures, which led to being caught off-guard.
Following the attack, which claimed approximately 1,139 lives in Israel and resulted in over 200 captives, there have been widespread calls for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation. The incident prompted the resignation of Israel’s spy chief, Aharon Haliva, and the top general, Herzi Halevi, both acknowledging their responsibilities for the security and intelligence failures.
The investigation reported that the Hamas attack occurred in three waves, with over 5,000 fighters and civilians entering Israel at its peak. The Nukhba fighters, Hamas’ elite force, infiltrated Israel during the first wave, targeting the Israeli military’s communications and command-and-control centers, creating a state of chaos. Subsequent waves involved more fighters and civilians. However, Hamas claims that only a few hundred fighters were involved.
An earlier investigation by Haaretz suggested that Israel’s military may have inadvertently fired upon and killed Israeli civilians during the attack to prevent the capture of Palestinians. In response to the inquiry’s release, opposition leader Yair Lapid called for Netanyahu to establish an official commission to investigate the attack, praising the army for its integrity and investigating its actions without attempting to cover up or evade responsibility.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/28/israel-army-probe-reveals-complete-failure-in-preventing-october-7-attack?traffic_source=rss
