Israelis died asking ‘where was IDF’ – Army admits ‘complete failure’ on October 7 during Hamas attack

An Israeli army probe into Hamas' October 7 attack that took place in 2023 has acknowledged the military's "complete failure" to prevent the assault, which killed hundreds of Israelis, military officials informed. The report was released on Thursday.

"October 7 was a complete failure, the IDF (military) failed in fulfilling its mission to protect Israeli civilians," reported AFP.

“Too many civilians died that day asking themselves in their hearts or out loud, where was the IDF?”

"The Israel Defense Forces failed to protect Israeli citizens. The Gaza Division was overrun in the early hours of the war, as terrorists took control and carried out massacres in the communities and roads in the area," the military said in the summary of the report.

The military acknowledged that it was "overconfident" and had misconceptions about Hamas's military capabilities ahead of the Palestinian militant group's attack, a senior military official said at the same briefing.

The comprehensive inquiry, encompassing 77 distinct investigations, meticulously examined the events that unfolded in various communities, army bases, and multiple confrontation points along the Gaza periphery.

This exhaustive review is currently being presented to those directly impacted by the incidents, providing a detailed account of what transpired during the tumultuous period.

"We did not even imagine such a scenario," the first military official told journalists, adding that Palestinian militants led by Hamas caught Israel by surprise, not only in terms of the size and scale of the attack, but also its "brutality".

The military probe found that Hamas's attack happened in three waves and at its height more than 5,000 people entered Israel from Gaza.

"The first wave... included more than 1,000 Nukhba (elite force) terrorists who infiltrated under the cover of heavy fire," the summary of the inquiry said.

It added that a second wave included 2,000 militants and third wave was characterised by the arrival of hundreds of militants, along with several thousand civilians.

"In total, approximately 5,000 terrorists infiltrated Israeli territory during the attack," the report said.

(With AFP inputs)