The Israeli military acknowledged mistakes, such as slow response times and disorganization, in a report on the community where the attack took place.
The Israeli military has admitted to a series of mistakes during the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the current war in Gaza. On Thursday, the IDF acknowledged slow responses and disorganization as it released the results of its first investigation into failures during the assault.
The report focuses on the community of Be’eri, which was the hardest hit in the attack. That day, more than 100 people were killed and more than 30 others were taken hostage by Hamas.
“The army failed in its mission to protect the residents of Kibbutz Be’eri”Army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a televised address. “It is painful and difficult for me to say this”.
During the clash, a tank targeted a home, raising concerns that the 13 hostages inside were killed by friendly fire. The army concluded that they were likely killed by Hamas fighters, not Israeli shelling, but it is unclear how the IDF reached this conclusion, and the report called for further testing.
The army also said the kibbutz had been surrounded by around 340 Hamas fighters.
Investigators “established that, based on the information examined and to the best of their understanding, no civilians inside the building were injured by the tank shelling”the report said, although it added that two Israeli civilians were hit by shrapnel outside the building. One of the civilians died, according to the victim’s wife.
The report also states that commanders on the ground took “professional and responsible decisions”He added that several commanders made a joint decision after hearing gunshots inside the house and militants saying they intended to kill the hostages and commit suicide.
Several hours late
The report also describes delays of several hours in the arrival of military forces and says they waited outside the kibbutz until the afternoon, while residents were being killed, without understanding the gravity of the situation.
“This situation is extremely serious and it is unacceptable that it is happening”the report said.
The report welcomes “the bravery of the residents of Be’eri and the members of the kibbutz’s civilian rapid response team“, saying it was “crucial in stabilizing the defense line during the first hours of combat.”
The Israeli military has faced fierce criticism from Palestinians and human rights groups, who say its investigations rarely result in sanctions.
The kibbutz also called for the creation of an official commission of inquiry into the failures of October 7, “so that the unimaginable loss we have suffered will never again be experienced by other citizens”.
Military officials resigned after attack
The surprise cross-border raid killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 hostages. It was the deadliest attack in Israel’s history. The attack, in which several thousand militants crossed the border without encountering resistance, exposed serious shortcomings in the army’s preparedness, intelligence assessments and the political leadership’s policy toward the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli offensive launched in response to the attack left more than 38,000 Palestinians dead, according to local authorities, displaced more than 80% of the territory’s population and triggered a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. Israel is now accused of war crimes and genocide by international courts.
The military has launched multiple investigations into the October 7 failures, and the head of military intelligence has resigned. Several other commanders have apologized and taken responsibility for their failures.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected repeated calls for an official state investigation as the war enters its 10th month.