The Israeli army concludes that it failed in its mission to protect residents of Kibbutz Beeri on October 7

The report highlights the “courage” of its residents for preventing the total takeover of the community during the first hours

12 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Israeli army on Thursday published the results of its investigation into the attacks carried out by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7 in Kibbutz Beeri, one of those attacked by the Palestinian armed group, and concluded that it failed in its mission to protect its residents.

“The investigative team has determined that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) failed in its mission to protect the residents of Kibbutz Beeri,” the statement shared by the IDF reads at the beginning.

He also praised the “courage” of the kibbutz residents and members of the civilian rapid response force, whose actions were described as “commendable” and “crucial” in maintaining the defence line during the first hours of the fighting, thus preventing the attackers from reaching other areas of the kibbutz.

Some 340 Palestinian militants – at least 100 from Hamas – took over a large part of the kibbutz, killing 101 civilians and kidnapping 30 people, making Beeri one of the hardest hit by the attacks on 7 October, and where it is expected that it will take a long time for the community to recover from the “serious damage” suffered.

It is worth noting that the investigation has determined that 31 members of the Israeli security forces, including 23 IDF soldiers and eight police officers, were killed during the fighting, in which around 100 militants were also “eliminated.”

The investigation, led by Major General Mickey Edelstein together with Lieutenant Colonel Oded Mediddo, Major Dror Engelstein and Captain Shir Dani, lasted three months, during which they spoke to and interviewed residents of the kibbutz, members of the civilian and security forces, and collected “thousands of pieces of data and materials” that allowed for on-the-spot reconstructions, all in collaboration with the Israel Security Agency and the Police.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE ASSAULT

Israeli authorities have placed the start of the attack on the kibbutz between 6:30 and 6:45 a.m. local time, when militants began infiltrating from two directions while the first clashes began with rapid response forces and some of the residents who joined the fight.

Between 9:00 and 13:30, the Palestinians managed to seize control of part of the kibbutz as the first IDF troops began to arrive, by which time the abductions had already been completed.

The Israeli military began to halt the militants’ advance at around 4:15 p.m., but it was not until 6 p.m. that they began to evacuate residents; the wounded were evacuated upon arrival. Between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., the IDF began to take control of the community, but did not succeed in “clearing it of terrorists” until 3 p.m. the next day, when only “isolated fighting” was taking place.

MAIN CONCLUSIONS

The investigation has specified that the IDF was trained for isolated and specific infiltration scenarios, and that it was “not prepared” for an attack of such magnitude, so the number of soldiers assigned to the area was in accordance with the anticipated scenario.

Furthermore, they showed “difficulties in creating a clear and precise assessment of the situation” despite the updated assessment of local emergency teams, so the first hours of fighting were characterized by “lack of command, control, coordination and order”, causing part of the troops to not immediately enter the fighting, whose first hours were resisted almost entirely by rapid action forces and civilians.

Due to the multiple focal points and the difficulty in forming an assessment of the situation, the fighting in the area during the first hours was characterized by a lack of command and control, a lack of coordination and a lack of order between the different forces and units. This led to several incidents in which security forces grouped together at the entrance to the kibbutz without immediately engaging in combat.

“This lack of order characterized many hotbeds of fighting during October 7 and is currently being examined as part of the overall investigation. (…) Security officials did not sufficiently warn residents of Kibbutz Beeri of the infiltration of terrorists during the first hours of the terrorist attack,” the statement said.

Investigators have also uncovered some instances where IDF soldiers “acted inappropriately in their conduct towards civilians,” especially in ensuring that they were evacuated and that they were providing care for their basic needs.

For his part, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi accepted the report and stressed that the IDF did not fulfill “its mission of defending the residents and failed in the most serious way,” although he highlighted its “acts of heroism,” while also highlighting the attitude of the residents and the civilian rapid response teams.

Halevi also pointed out that the “critical issue” is the reasons for the delay in the IDF’s arrival in the communities, which will be examined in a general investigation, and criticized the fact that part of the forces were “waiting” outside the kibbutz despite the fighting.

“In some cases, security forces struggled to defend a position and evacuate and treat wounded soldiers before doing so for civilians. The investigation determined that these cases were due to difficulties in forming a complete picture of the situation, which led the attacked forces to act in self-defense. It is imperative to reinforce the directive to prioritize the protection of civilians as a top priority mission before doing anything else,” he added.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also acknowledged that this is a “unique event” and that this investigation is the first part of “a broad internal process” that is currently underway.

“At the end of the investigative process, which will allow for the formation of a complete picture of the series of events, decisions will be made and implications drawn, in addition to operational conclusions to be implemented in the immediate future. We have the responsibility and duty to conduct a thorough and in-depth investigative process in order to learn, strengthen and improve the defense that Israel’s civilians deserve,” he concluded.

It is worth noting that Brigadier General Barak Hiram, commander of the 99th Division of the Armed Forces, ordered the firing on a house where 14 hostages were being held, leading to a shootout that resulted in the deaths of 13 hostages. The report only mentions his “mistakes”, without going into them, and stresses that his appointment to command the sector represented a “turnaround” in the situation.

Shortly before publication, the authorities had presented these results to survivors and relatives of the victims of the kibbutz, who have called for the resignation of those responsible for the aforementioned rulings.