Israeli army released first report on Oct 7 attack

TEL AVIV

A battle-scarred home in Kibbutz Be'eri, an Israeli communal farm on the Gaza border, is seen on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024.

The Israeli military has acknowledged a string of errors in its response to the Hamas attacks last October, including slow response times and disorganization, as it released the results of its first investigation into failures during the assault that triggered the war in Gaza.

The report focused on the border community of Be’eri, where over 100 people were killed and more than 30 others taken hostage by Hamas. It was among the hardest-hit communities in the early morning attack, and it was the scene of one of the highest-profile confrontations on Oct. 7, 2023.

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

The inquiry summary, made public after being presented to kibbutz families, concluded that the military "failed in its mission to protect the residents of Kibbutz Beeri.”

It said there had been a "lack of coordination" in the military response and that forces were "not prepared for the extensive infiltration scenario that occurred on Oct. 7, 2023.”

During the standoff, a tank fired at the home, raising concerns that the 13 hostages inside were killed by friendly fire .The military concluded that they were likely killed by Hamas , not Israeli shelling, though it was unclear how it reached that conclusion, and the report called for additional tests.

At the same day, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called for a state investigation involving him, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi over the Hamas attack and the failure to prevent it.

“There is a need for an official commission to investigate all of us, including myself and the prime minister,” Gallant said at a graduation ceremony of military officers. “We need a national-level investigation to clarify the facts. A state inquiry commission is necessary.”