Military Force acknowledged that it underestimated the group’s abilities, which resulted in an inappropriate preparation for the attack, which involved approximately 5,000 fighters and caused the death of 1,200 people, and more than 200 kidnapping
The army of admitted a “total failure” in its response to the attack on the 7th October 2023. The military force acknowledged that over the years it underestimated the group’s abilities, which resulted in an inadequate preparation for the attack, which involved approximately 5,000 fighters and caused the death of 1,200 people, and over 200 kidnappings. An internal investigation revealed several security failures, which were attributed to incomplete information. These deficiencies left the Israeli forces unprepared to face the magnitude of the attack, which took many by surprise. The military recognized that errors were made both before and during the event.
General Herzi Halevi, who held the position of army head, resigned from the crisis and assumed responsibility for the failure to protect civilians. He classified the response of the Armed Forces as a “complete failure”, reflecting the severity of the situation and the need for a reassessment of defense strategies. Among the main conclusions of the investigation, we highlight the realization that the Israeli army had a distorted view of Hamas’s abilities, demonstrating excessive confidence in the information it had.
Posted by Sarah Paula
*Report produced with the aid of AI
