Israel’s top general on Thursday told units to begin conducting reviews of the military’s failure to anticipate the Oct. 7 terrorist massacre, which set the stage for the war in the Gaza Strip.
The first round of internal investigations will focus on a timeframe from the 2018-19 Gaza border protests to Oct. 10, when Israel Defense Forces reestablished control of southern Israel, three days after the Hamas raid that killed nearly 1,200 people.
“We suffered tough events at the start of the war, and we failed to protect civilians, our most important mission,” Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the IDF chief of staff, said in the memo. “If we do not bravely assess our doings, we will experience difficulty in learning and improving.”
Without conducting reviews, it will be tough for the IDF to convince Israelis that it’s learned from mistakes and is in a better position to protect them in the future, Gen. Halevi said.
IDF units will conduct the reviews as they carry out Operation Swords of Iron, the name given to Israel’s campaign against Hamas.
“This requires a balance and a quality distribution of attention from the commanders, with the focus — of course — being fighting,” Gen. Halevi said. “When dealing with complex situations, it is critical to explore and make decisions that allow for evaluation and learning.”
Reviews of the IDF’s current offensive operations will commence once the fighting ends, he added.
“Many incidents will be reviewed, each with many details, and we will not be able to thoroughly examine every step, every bullet fired,” he said. “Unfortunately, some of our people are no longer here with us, and we will not be able to hear their point of view.”
The IDF probe could have implications for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his government, including Gen. Halevi, along with other leaders in Israel’s military and intelligence community.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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