A lady grieves at a memorial for these killed and kidnapped through the Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border assault by Hamas militants, close to the kibbutz Reim, southern Israel on Could 13, 2024.
Leo Correa/AP
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Leo Correa/AP
TEL AVIV — Israel’s army mentioned “glaring” intelligence failures left it unable to guard Israeli residents on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked the nation, killing practically 1,200 folks and taking 251 hostage, in accordance with an official report on Israel’s response to the assault.
The investigation — which has not absolutely been made public — particulars a decades-long “fundamental misunderstanding” of Hamas, in accordance with an English abstract of the findings offered to NPR by the army. It mentioned that this allowed senior Israeli officers to underestimate the militant group’s capabilities and intentions main as much as the assault.
The army operated on an strategy “based on the (incorrect) assumption that Hamas was neither interested nor preparing for a large-scale war,” in accordance with the abstract. It acknowledged that Israeli intelligence officers thought the group was extra considering governing Gaza, which it seized management of from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, than preventing Israel.
“In hindsight, Hamas systematically employed deception tactics that reinforced this perception. In retrospect, this was a grave mistake,” it mentioned.
The report is the army’s first official account of errors that preceded the 2023 assault — the deadliest in Israeli historical past — and launched Israel’s subsequent warfare towards Hamas in Gaza that killed greater than 48,000 Palestinians. Israeli army officers mentioned they spent 1000’s of hours wanting into the army’s intelligence gathering and its response.
There was confusion and anger amongst Israelis because the assault, lots of whom felt the response time of the army was sluggish and unorganized, with some victims saying they waited hours for troopers to reach.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace has not commented on the army’s investigation and findings. All through the warfare, Netanyahu has refused to take accountability for the Oct. 7 assault, saying that he’ll reply questions on it solely after the warfare ends. The warfare is at the moment paused as a part of a fragile six-week ceasefire deal that has but to be prolonged.
Many Israelis blame Netanyahu for the failures resulting in Oct. 7, and a majority need a wider inquiry by the federal government, in accordance with latest polls. Netanyahu has resisted forming a fee of inquiry.
The military’s chief of workers, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, mentioned he took accountability for the military’s failures.
“I was the commander of the military on October 7th, and I have my own responsibility. I also carry the weight of all your responsibility — that, too, I see as mine,” he mentioned. Halevi is about to step down subsequent week, after saying his resignation in January.
The discharge of this report comes as the primary a part of a three-stage ceasefire ends on Saturday and negotiations are underway for the second section. American and Israeli negotiators are in Cairo for the talks.
Daniel Estrin contributed to this report from Tel Aviv. Yanal Jabarin contributed from Jerusalem.
