TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An investigation through the Israeli army has decided that Hamas was once ready to hold out the deadliest assault in Israeli historical past on Oct. 7, 2023, since the a lot more tough Israeli military misjudged the militant workforce’s intentions and underestimated its features.The findings, launched Thursday, may just drive High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to release a extensively demanded broader inquiry to inspect the political decision-making that preceded the assault, which caused the warfare in Gaza.
Israeli High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a memorial rite for the ones killed through Hamas throughout the Oct. 7, 2023 assault, in Jerusalem, Oct. 28, 2024. (Debbie Hill, Pool Photograph by way of AP, Document)
Israeli High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a memorial rite for the ones killed through Hamas throughout the Oct. 7, 2023 assault, in Jerusalem, Oct. 28, 2024. (Debbie Hill, Pool Photograph by way of AP, Document)Learn Extra
Many Israelis imagine the errors of Oct. 7 lengthen past the army, and so they blame Netanyahu for what they view as a failed technique of deterrence and containment within the years main as much as the assault. That technique integrated permitting Qatar to ship suitcases of money into Gaza and sidelining Hamas’ rival, the across the world known Palestinian Authority.The high minister has now not taken accountability, pronouncing he’s going to resolution tricky questions simplest after the warfare, which has been paused for just about six weeks through a tenuous ceasefire. Regardless of public drive, together with from the households of the more or less 1,200 folks killed within the Oct. 7 assault and the 251 taken as hostages into Gaza, Netanyahu has resisted requires a fee of inquiry.The army’s major findings had been that the area’s maximum tough and complicated army misinterpret Hamas’ intentions, underestimated its features and was once wholly unprepared for the marvel assault through 1000’s of closely armed militants within the early morning hours of a big Jewish vacation.
In feedback made to army commanders Monday, and shared with the media on Thursday, the military’s leader of group of workers, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, mentioned he took accountability for the military’s screw ups.“I used to be the commander of the army on October seventh, and I’ve my very own accountability. I additionally lift the burden of all of your accountability — that, too, I see as mine,” mentioned Halevi, who introduced his resignation in January and is about to step down subsequent week.The army’s findings are in step with previous conclusions reached through officers and analysts. The army launched just a abstract of the record and armed forces officers defined its findings.“Oct. 7 was once an entire failure,” mentioned one army legit, who spoke on situation of anonymity in step with laws.
A central false impression was once that Hamas, which seized regulate of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, was once extra excited by governing the territory than preventing Israel, the inquiry discovered.
Supporters of Israelis held hostage through Hamas within the Gaza Strip protest outdoor of the resort the place U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is staying throughout a talk over with with Israeli management, in Tel Aviv, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photograph/Maya Alleruzzo, Document)
Supporters of Israelis held hostage through Hamas within the Gaza Strip protest outdoor of the resort the place U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is staying throughout a talk over with with Israeli management, in Tel Aviv, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photograph/Maya Alleruzzo, Document)Learn Extra
The army additionally misjudged the militant workforce’s features. Army planners had envisioned that, at worst, Hamas may just level a flooring invasion from as much as 8 border issues, the legit mentioned. In truth, Hamas had greater than 60 assault routes. Intelligence assessed within the aftermath of the assault has proven Hamas got here as regards to staging the offensive on 3 previous events however not on time it for unknown causes, the legit mentioned.The legit mentioned that within the hours prior to the assault, there have been indicators that one thing was once amiss, together with when Hamas combatants switched their telephones over to the Israeli community.The belief that Hamas didn’t need warfare guided resolution makers clear of taking motion that night time that would possibly have thwarted the assault. The Israeli army legit mentioned intelligence presentations that Yahya Sinwar, a mastermind of the Oct. 7 assault who was once killed closing October, had begun making plans it as early as 2017.
With the army off guard on a vacation weekend, Hamas introduced a heavy wave of rockets that allowed 1000’s of combatants to burst in the course of the safety fence or fly over it on hold gliders. They knocked out surveillance cameras and briefly crushed masses of squaddies stationed alongside the border.
Supporters of Israelis held hostage through Hamas in Gaza caught a sticky label with the face of Israeli High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a street and poured pink liquid, symbolizing blood, over it, in Jerusalem, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photograph/Ohad Zwigenberg, Document)
Supporters of Israelis held hostage through Hamas in Gaza caught a sticky label with the face of Israeli High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a street and poured pink liquid, symbolizing blood, over it, in Jerusalem, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP Photograph/Ohad Zwigenberg, Document)Learn Extra
From there they complex to key freeway intersections and attacked troops dispatched to the realm, together with some senior officials, disrupting the army’s command and regulate, consistent with a 2nd army legit, who additionally spoke on situation of anonymity.For the primary 3 hours after the assault, Hamas combatants marauded via border communities and a song pageant with little resistance. That was once when lots of the 251 hostages had been taken and the general public had been killed, the legit mentioned. The legit mentioned the chaos resulted in pleasant hearth incidents, even though he mentioned there weren’t many, with out disclosing a determine. It took hours for the army to regain regulate and days till the realm was once absolutely cleared of militants.In step with the primary legit, the record blamed the army for being overconfident in its wisdom and now not appearing sufficient doubt in its core ideas and ideology. The abstract mentioned a key lesson was once that Israel may just now not let a danger increase on its border.It spelled out a number of suggestions, together with developing particular gadgets supposed to organize for such marvel and large-scale occasions, in addition to reform within the army intelligence division that may foster “openness, skepticism, listening, studying.”It didn’t position blame on somebody squaddies or officials, however is prone to pave the way in which for a reckoning within the army and eventual dismissals.Some high-ranking officials rather then Halevi have additionally resigned, together with the previous head of army intelligence.
The house of David Cunio, a hostage who was once kidnapped into Gaza through Hamas militants throughout the Oct. 7, 2023 assault, stands empty in kibbutz Nir Oz., southern Israel, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photograph/Ohad Zwigenberg, Document)
The house of David Cunio, a hostage who was once kidnapped into Gaza through Hamas militants throughout the Oct. 7, 2023 assault, stands empty in kibbutz Nir Oz., southern Israel, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photograph/Ohad Zwigenberg, Document)Learn Extra
