Israeli military says it failed to protect kibbutz during Hamas-led attack | News on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The report said the military was unprepared for the attack and reacted slowly. In addition, 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.

In the attack on Be’eri, a community of about 1,000 residents, more than 100 people were killed and 32 were taken prisoner to Gaza, where 11 are still being held.

The military said on Thursday that the investigation was examining the sequence of events of the day, the fighting and the conduct of the security forces.

While the military acknowledged its own failure to protect the kibbutz’s civilian population, it praised the bravery of Be’eri residents and its rapid response team.

The Israeli military was not prepared for the scenario of a massive infiltration of the country by Hamas fighters, did not have enough troops in the region and did not have a clear picture of the events until midday – several hours after the attack began. The residents of Be’eri were not adequately warned and the fighting was uncoordinated, the investigation found.

However, the investigation found no error in the tank fire on a house where militants were holding about 15 people captive. The incident was criticized in Israel for putting civilians at risk.

“After gunshots were heard from the house and the terrorists declared their intention to kill themselves and the hostages, the armed forces decided to storm the house to rescue the hostages,” the military summary said.

“The team determined that the civilians in the house were not injured by the tank shells,” the summary said. However, further investigations are needed to determine the cause of death of the hostages in the house, as there are indications that they were killed by the gunmen.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday called for a government investigation into security deficiencies in the October 7 attack.

He said the investigation should target Gallant himself and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu has rejected previous calls for a government investigation.

The military presented its report to residents of Be’eri, many of whom are among the tens of thousands of Israelis still displaced since the October 7 attack that sparked Israel’s war on Gaza.

“I didn’t need all these details,” said Miri Gad Mesika, a kibbutz member. “What matters to me is why it happened, what happened, how we can prevent it from happening again, how we can bring our hostages back and how we can feel safe again.”