Israel admits 'complete failure' to prevent Hamas's October 7 attacks
What's the story
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has issued its first official report on the failures during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
The report acknowledges that the IDF "failed in its mission to protect Israeli civilians."
The attack left around 1,200 people dead and 251 others abducted by some 5,000 gunmen from Hamas and other Palestinian groups.
Misinterpretation
IDF misjudged Hamas's intentions, underestimated its capabilities
According to the 19-page report, the military considered Gaza a secondary security threat, prioritizing Iran and Hezbollah.
Its strategy toward Gaza, it claims, was "paradoxical: Hamas was illegitimate, yet there was no effort to develop an alternative."
To deal with Gaza, the military reportedly used a "conflict management" strategy.
Additionally, they believed that Hamas was "neither interested [in] nor preparing for a large-scale war."
Evidence
Evidence suggested Hamas was indeed developing an ambitious plan
Evidence indicating that Hamas was formulating an ambitious strategy starting from 2018 was seen as "unrealistic or unfeasible."
The report says that in the months leading up to the war, the Military Intelligence Directorate began to develop a fresh evaluation, suggesting that Hamas's strategy was "a concrete framework for operational planning" rather than just a vision.
However, senior military intelligence personnel were unaware of this evolving assessment.
Oversight
Intelligence gap and complacency highlighted in IDF report
The IDF report highlights a major intelligence gap that had evolved over time between the military's assessments of Hamas and the reality.
It also notes a wide streak of complacency within the military regarding Hamas's intentions.
The report notes, "There was no deep discussion of the question: What if we are wrong?"
It further emphasizes "a decline in deep familiarity with the enemy's different worldview, including its culture, religion, language and history."
Reform call
IDF report calls for reform, acknowledges operational failures
The IDF report calls for a deep reform of the intelligence directorate's culture. It advocates fostering intellectual openness, skepticism, listening, learning, debate and constructive disagreement.
On October 7, the Gaza Division was "effectively defeated for several hours," significantly impairing its ability to understand what was happening and respond effectively.
The Air Force did respond quickly but faced significant difficulty distinguishing between IDF troops, civilians, and terrorists.
Accountability
IDF's outgoing chief takes responsibility for failures
In the aftermath of the report's release, IDF's outgoing chief of staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi has accepted full responsibility for these failures.
In a video message, he said, "I embrace my responsibility. It is mine."
Last month, Halevi announced his resignation and called for a broader investigation to prevent future attacks.
The report is still merely a "slither of the whole process, an official said." Additional investigations, including one into what occurred at a desert music festival, are awaited.