Egypt Daily News – An investigation conducted by the Israeli army acknowledged a “complete failure” in preventing Hamas from carrying out the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The investigation, revealed by an Israeli official on Thursday, concluded that Hamas launched the October 7, 2023, attack in three waves, with over 5,000 people crossing from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Chief of Staff affirmed that he bears “full responsibility” following the investigation’s findings.
An Israeli military official stated on Thursday that an investigation conducted by the Israeli army concluded there was a “complete failure” in preventing Hamas from carrying out the October 7, 2023, attack. Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi affirmed that he bears “full responsibility” following the investigation’s findings.
The official told journalists, “October 7 was a complete failure,” and the army “failed in its mission to protect Israeli civilians.” He added, “Many civilians were killed that day, asking themselves or aloud, ‘Where was’ the Israeli army.”
The official acknowledged that the army had “excessive confidence” and underestimated Hamas’s capabilities before the group launched its attack on October 7, 2023.
The official confirmed that the army did not have a “comprehensive understanding of the enemy’s military capabilities” and had shown “excessive confidence” in its intelligence about the movement.
For his part, Halevi, who resigned from his position last month due to the “failure” to confront the Hamas attack, stated, “The responsibility lies with me. I was the commander of the army on October 7, and I also bear full responsibility for all of you.” This was stated in a recorded speech distributed by the army.
The investigation also concluded that Hamas launched the October 7, 2023, attack in three waves, with more than 5,000 people crossing from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel.
The summary of the report stated that “the first wave… included more than a thousand terrorists from (Hamas’s) elite unit who infiltrated under the cover of heavy fire,” noting that the second wave included 2,000 armed individuals, while the third wave involved hundreds of armed individuals accompanied by thousands of civilians. It added, “In total, approximately 5,000 terrorists infiltrated Israeli territory.”
