Israel’s military blames itself for failing to defend Kibbutz captured by Hamas
An investigation, part of a broader probe, found the military was too slow and ineffective to protect a community from Hamas militants.
The Israeli military has blamed itself for failing to defend a small community on the border with Gaza where scores were killed or taken hostage by Hamas militants on October 7, in the first released findings of a large military investigation into the worst intelligence failure and terrorist attack in the nation’s history.
The probe focused on the events in Kibbutz Be’eri, a small community that was the site of one of the worst massacres of the day. Hundreds of militants stormed through the border fence with Israel in the early morning, and rampaged through the village for hours, with barely any response by Israeli security forces.
The investigation found that the Israeli military failed in its mission to protect civilians, failed to understand what was happening in the kibbutz even hours after the attack began, and that forces waited outside the kibbutz due to a lack of chain of command as residents fought for their lives.
The investigation also exonerated officials for a controversial decision to fire tank shells at a building where militants were holed up with hostages, all 14 of whom ended up dead.
The findings released by the Israeli military are only the beginning of what is expected to be a highly complex and sensitive examination of the failures of the Israelis security forces on October 7, considered the worst intelligence failure in Israeli history.
While some of the military’s top brass have resigned or officially taken responsibility for the failure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has largely avoided doing so. He has said any in-depth inquiries into the failures should wait until after Israel has finished fighting the war in Gaza.
Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday called for a state commission of inquiry to probe all government and military officials for the events of October 7, the way the war in Gaza has been managed, as well as decisions over the last decade that allowed Hamas to build up its forces.
Who will conduct a state inquiry is a point of controversy, as the military and government each point the finger at the other, while most civilians say it’s time for an independent probe.
In all, 101 residents of Be’eri were killed and 30 taken hostage, 11 of whom are still being held in Gaza, including seven who have been confirmed dead by Israel. Of Be’eri’s 30 hostages, 18 were returned in a ceasefire deal at the end of November and one dead hostage was recovered in a military operation. Another hostage from Be’eri died during a failed hostage rescue mission.
The kibbutz, which had some 1200 residents, was infiltrated by 340 militants, including 100 from the Nukhba force, the Hamas commando unit that led the attack. Thirty-one members of the Israeli forces were killed.
“The IDF failed in its mission to defend the residents of Kibbutz Be’eri, ” the findings state.
The Wall Street Journal
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