In a gesture of rare contrition, the Israeli army reported its “utter failure” in preventing the October 7 attack by Hamas and revealed that for years it overestimated the terrorist group’s military capabilities. The revelation followed Thursday’s release of a summary report of an inquiry, which established that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had failed to carry out its primary mission to protect Israeli civilians.
A top Israeli army official made a solemn statement, declaring, “October 7 was a complete failure. Too many civilians were murdered on that day, wondering where the IDF was.” This was quoted anonymously because of the gravity of the matter.
The inquiry cited a lingering assumption that Hamas was not inclined towards total war, leading to a dangerous failure to prepare. It was noted that Israel had concentrated its military and intelligence resources on other fronts, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon, and had over-relied on defensive measures, making it vulnerable to surprise attacks.
The October 7 attack murdered around 1,139 individuals in Israel and set alight a war in Gaza that has already claimed more than 48,000 Palestinians. The attack also included the over 200 individuals taken into captivity, which raised grave questions about the handling of security by the Netanyahu government and the military.
Pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign has increased in the wake of the attack. The fallout has already led to the resignation of Israel’s spy agency head Aharon Haliva in 2024, as well as the nation’s highest-ranking general Herzi Halevi, who also resigned due to massive security and intelligence blunders. Yaron Finkelman, the commander of the army’s southern command, has also resigned.
Halevi assumed responsibility for the failures, affirming, “I bear my own responsibility. I take upon myself in every subordinate of mine who erred, as part of my own [error].”
The inquiry outlined that the Hamas attack was launched in three phases, with over 5,000 militants and civilians infiltrating Israel at its peak. The initial wave involved over 1,000 of the best Nukhba combatants who infiltrated across heavy fire, interfering with Israeli defense communications and command centers.
A previous study by Haaretz stated that Israeli soldiers may have inadvertently shot and killed civilians during the attack while attempting to keep the hostages from being taken.
In response to the findings of the investigation, opposition leader Yair Lapid demanded that Netanyahu establish a formal committee to carry out additional investigations into the attack. He praised the army for being transparent and demanded that the government be just as accountable.
