The report stated that the military was unprepared and slow to respond to the attack, although the fighting was uncoordinated.
The Israeli military has acknowledged that it failed to protect the Kibbutz Be’eri community during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, in its first investigation into its own security failures on the day of the attacks.
More than 100 people were killed in the attack on Be’eri, a community of about 1,000 people, and 32 were taken captive to Gaza, 11 of whom are still detained there.
The military said Thursday that the investigation examined the day’s chain of events, the fighting and the conduct of security forces.
While acknowledging its own failure to protect kibbutz civilians, the military saluted the bravery of Be’eri residents, including its rapid response team.
The Israeli military was not prepared for the scenario of a massive infiltration of Hamas fighters into Israel, had inadequate forces in the area, did not have a clear picture of events until midday – several hours after the attack began, did not warn properly the army of Be’eri residents, and their fighting was uncoordinated, the investigation concluded.
The investigation, however, found no fault in tank fire on a house where fighters were holding about 15 people captive, an incident that drew criticism in Israel for putting civilians in danger.
“After gunshots were heard coming from the house and the terrorists announced their intention to kill themselves and the hostages, the forces decided to storm the house to save the hostages,” the military summary read.
“The team found that the civilians inside the house were not injured by the tank shells,” the summary said; however, it argued that further investigation is needed to determine how the hostages died, with signs indicating they were killed by the gunmen.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday called for a state inquiry into the security failures of the Oct. 7 attack.
He said the investigation should look into Gallant himself and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu has rejected previous calls for a state inquiry.
The military presented its report to the residents of Be’eri, many of whom are among the tens of thousands of Israelis still displaced since the October 7 attack, which precipitated Israel’s war in Gaza.
“I didn’t need all these details,” said kibbutz member Miri Gad Mesika. “What matters to me is why what happened happened, how we can prevent it from happening again, how we can bring back our hostages and how we can feel safe again.”
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
