Israeli army admits failures on October 7, including slow response times and disorganization

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military acknowledged Thursday a series of mistakes in its response to the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, including slow reaction times and disorganization, while releasing the results of its first investigation into failures during the attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

The report focused on the border town of Be’eri, where over 100 people were killed and more than 30 others taken hostage by Hamas. It was one of the Most affected communities in the early morning attack, and it was the scene of one of the most spectacular confrontations of October 7 – a standoff in which militants held a group of hostages in a house.

“The army has failed in its mission to protect the residents of Kibbutz Be’eri,” said the military’s chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, in a televised address. “It is painful and difficult for me to say this.”

During the standoff, a tank fired on the house, raising fears that the 13 hostages in the house were killed by Friendly Fire. The military concluded they were likely killed by Hamas fighters rather than Israeli artillery fire, although it was unclear how it reached that conclusion and the report called for additional tests. The military said the kibbutz was overrun by about 340 Hamas fighters.

Investigators “concluded, based on verified information and to the best of their knowledge and belief, that no civilians inside the building were injured by tank shell fire,” the report said. However, it said two Israeli civilians were hit by shrapnel outside the building. One of these civilians died, according to the man’s wife.

It also said that commanders on the ground made “professional and responsible decisions” when ordering the tank attack. It said there was a joint decision by several commanders after they heard gunshots inside the house and militants declared they planned to kill the hostages and commit suicide.

“The team concluded that most of the hostages were probably murdered by the terrorists,” the report said.

The report also pointed to hours-long delays in the arrival of military forces, saying that troops waited outside the kibbutz until the afternoon while residents were killed because they did not realize the seriousness of the situation.

“This situation is extremely serious and must not occur,” it said.

The report praised “the courage of the residents of Be’eri and the members of the kibbutz’s civilian rapid reaction force” and said it was “crucial in stabilizing the defense line during the first hours of fighting.”

The Israeli army has been heavily criticized by Palestinians and human rights groups. They say its Investigations rarely lead to punishment.

The residents of the kibbutz reacted to the report with mixed feelings. They expressed anger at the army’s failure that day, but also appreciation for its responsibility.

Meir Zarbiv, a local resident whose brother and sister were killed on October 7, called the report a “deception” by the army. “I don’t believe the report and I don’t believe any of it,” he said.

He said he still couldn’t understand the delays in arriving and entering the kibbutz. “I just can’t believe what happened here. I have no explanation,” he said. “Where was the army?”

In a statement, the community called the investigation “thorough” and said it helped them understand the complexity of the fighting that day.

“We attach great importance to the army accepting blame and responsibility for its utter failure to protect us and asking for forgiveness for abandoning us for many hours during an attack of unprecedented evil,” it said.

The kibbutz also called for an official government commission of inquiry into the broader failings of October 7, “so that no other citizen will ever again have to suffer the unimaginable losses we suffered.”

The surprise raid across the border left around 1,200 people dead, most of them civilians, and took 250 others hostage. It was the deadliest attack in Israel’s 76-year history. The attack, in which several thousand militants stormed across the border without resistance, revealed serious deficiencies in the army’s readiness, its intelligence assessments and the political leaders’ policies toward Gaza.

An Israeli offensive in response to the attack has killed over 38,000 Palestinians, displaced over 80% of the territory’s population, according to local health authorities, and triggered a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Israel now faces accusations of war crimes and genocide in international courts.

The army has launched several investigations into the October 7 failures, and the head of military intelligence has resigned. Several other commanders have apologized and accepted responsibility for their failures.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected repeated calls for an official government investigation, even though the war has been going on for ten months.

Netanyahu has said an investigation cannot be carried out while the country is focused on the war against Hamas, and he says all questions will be answered in due course. But critics accuse the Israeli president of putting the matter off to avoid what will almost certainly be harsh criticism of his policies and leadership.

At a military ceremony on Thursday, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said it was time to set up a government commission of inquiry to examine the country’s leadership. “It must examine me, the defense minister. It must examine the prime minister.”

Facing fierce international criticism, Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas’ military and governmental capacity is destroyed and the 120 or so hostages remaining in Gaza can return home. Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in weekly protests, calling on Netanyahu to negotiate an immediate ceasefire as time is running out to bring the hostages home safely.

International mediators have made renewed efforts to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Netanyahu announced on Thursday that he would send a negotiating team to Cairo to continue ceasefire talks, but at the same time he reiterated his stance that he would not end the war until Israel had achieved its war aims.

At the same military ceremony, he was interrupted by hecklers as he vowed to continue the war “until victory, even if it takes some time.”

As he spoke, a small crowd began chanting “shame.”

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Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg and Isaac Scharf contributed to this report.