The Israeli military has said it is preparing an investigation into failures connected with the October 7 Hamas attack that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. The army’s chief spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said that the military is still planning the investigation.
He said the investigation aims “to improve the army” and is not meant to replace any future external investigations. “Our goal is to always improve, to draw conclusions from the fighting, to deepen the achievement and minimize casualties to our forces,” Hagari, was quoted as saying by The Times of Israel, during an evening press conference on Friday.
“The operational investigation is one of the basic principles of the IDF. Only a thorough investigation of the truth will allow us to learn from the failures and prepare for the security challenges in the future — 2024 will be a year of fighting, and there are lessons to be learned that will help us fight better, in all the arenas,” he said.
On October 7, Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. It was the worst such attack in Israel’s history. Israeli military, intelligence and political leaders have come under heavy criticism for being caught off guard. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far rejected calls for an investigation, saying the government must focus on the war and answer questions later. The public broadcaster Kan reported earlier that a Security Cabinet meeting late Thursday broke up after four hard-line Cabinet minister shouted at the army’s commander-in-chief because they opposed his plans for the investigation.
The report about the military probe comes as Israel’s defense minister on Thursday laid out his vision for the next phase of the war in Gaza, describing how Israeli forces would shift to an apparently scaled-down “ new combat approach” in northern Gaza, while continuing to fight Hamas in the south of the territory “for as long as necessary.”
Israel has come under international pressure to spell out a post-war vision but so far has not done so. The issue is likely to be on the agenda in Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s talks this weekend in Israel and other countries in the region. The United States has pressed Israel to shift to lower-intensity military operations in Gaza that more precisely target Hamas, after nearly three devastating months of bombardment and ground assaults.
The document issued by Gallant was titled a “vision for Phase 3” of the war, and Gallant’s office said the phase had not yet begun. It also said the ideas were Gallant’s and not official policy, which would have to be set by Israel’s war and security cabinets.
(With agency inputs)
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