Military inquiry in Israel says it ‘failed to protect’ civilians on Oct 7, 2023
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An Israeli flag flying in front of a clock showing how long Israelis kidnapped by Hamas militants on Oct 7, 2023, have spent in captivity in Gaza.
PHOTO: AFP
JERUSALEM – The Israeli military drastically underestimated the capabilities of Hamas before its attacks on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, and “failed in its mission to protect Israeli civilians”, a summary of an Israeli military investigation published on Feb 27 said.
The perception that Hamas was not interested in a full-scale conflict and that Israel would have ample warning if that changed went unchallenged for years, the summary said, resulting in a lack of preparedness and ability to respond to an attack.
“The belief was that Hamas could be influenced through pressures that would reduce its motivation for war, primarily by improving living conditions in the Gaza Strip,” the report said.
The investigation looked at Israeli military strategy, battle behaviour and intelligence before, during and after Oct 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters stormed southern Israel,
More than 48,000 people have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza since then, according to Palestinian health officials. Most of the territory’s 2.3 million pre-war population have been displaced multiple times, humanitarian agencies say. Around 400 Israeli soldiers have also been killed.
The military investigation was conducted as calls grow from within the Israeli opposition and civil society for a national inquiry into the government’s failures on the deadliest single day in modern Israeli history.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said a national inquiry would be appropriate only after the conclusion of the war.
The first phase of a ceasefire that began on Jan 19 is due to expire on March 1.
The military investigation found Israel had focused its intelligence and military efforts on other fronts, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, and relied too heavily “on intelligence, barriers and defensive measures alone”, and was thus caught by surprise. Military commanders did not perceive an urgent threat leading up to the Oct 7 attacks and did not reinforce the troops defending the border.
A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office on Feb 27 said the military had not given Mr Netanyahu the findings of its investigations into the war. REUTERS
