Israeli Military Forms Independent Team To Investigate Failure To Anticipate Hamas Group Attacks
JAKARTA - Israeli Chief of Staff Defense Forces (IDF) Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi formed a team of former state military officials to investigate the failure of the army to anticipate attacks by the Palestinian militant group, Hamas.
The decision came 90 days after Hamas launched an attack on Israel's southern region, leaving about 1,200 people dead and 240 others held hostage. It sparked a massive Israeli military campaign against the Gaza Strip region.
The formation of this team was first reported by the Ynet news website, and confirmed to The Times of Israel by the IDF, as quoted January 5.
According to the report, former IDF Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz, former Head of the Aharon Military Intelligence Directorate Ze 'evi-Farkash, former South Command Head Sami Turgeman and former Operations Directorate Yoav Har-Even will be among those on the investigation team.
The IDF clarified that they had not yet begun investigating the failures that led to the Hamas intensive attack on October 7, but insisted "the investigation process is being formulated."
In a brief statement, the IDF said the General Staff was choosing heads of various teams to investigate incidents surrounding the terror attack.
"When everything is finished, it will be announced to the public," said the IDF.
It is known that there were many rumors surrounding the attack by the Hamas militant group which was linked to intelligence failures to the Israeli military in anticipatory. PM Benjamin Netanyahu had drawn criticism for blaming the Israeli intelligence elite for failing to anticipate Hamas attacks.
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Lt. Gen. Halevi himself last November acknowledged the failure to anticipate Hamas attacks, but chose to focus on the war and ensured that there would be an investigation afterward.
"IDF, including the Directorate of Military Intelligence, failed on October 7," said Lt. Gen. Halevi.
"There will be a sharp and in-depth investigation, but now we have to focus on the struggle," he said.