Failure before the Hamas attackThe Israeli army fired several generals
A recent expert report blamed Israeli security authorities for systematic failures in responding to the devastating Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The army has now dismissed high-ranking officers – which apparently has not gone down well with the government.
The Israeli army has fired three of its generals due to alleged failures before the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Army Commander Ejal Samir said those affected would no longer be part of the army and would also be removed from the reserve cadre. He accused the generals – who have now left military service – of being personally responsible for the failure to prevent Hamas attacks.
Those affected were the then Head of Army Intelligence, Aharon Haliva, the then Head of the Operations Directorate, Oded Basjuk, and General Jaron Finkelman, who was then in charge of the Southern Military Region. Haliva and Finkelman had resigned due to the failure on October 7th. Basyuk retired in June following the war between Israel and Iran.
Apart from that, disciplinary sanctions were imposed on, among others, Air Force Commander Tomer Bar and Navy Commander David Saar Salma. Eight other generals and senior officers are also on trial.
The report criticized the wrong decision
The dismissals and punitive measures follow the publication in November of an expert report on the army’s actions ahead of the Hamas attack. It stated that the army had suffered from “long-standing systematic and organizational dysfunction”. The report criticized wrong decisions, among other things, in the deployment of troops on the night of October 7 and denounced complaints within the chain of command.
There is a “gap” between “strategic and operational realities” and the army’s “perception” regarding the Gaza Strip and Hamas. Military intelligence could not warn of such a major attack, despite the excellent information situation, the report continued.
Army Commander versus government
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday announced a “thorough review” of the report released earlier this month. According to Israeli media, Katz learned of the dismissal and punitive measures from the media, prompting the defense minister to react angrily.
Katz and Samir are considered enemies. The army chief has publicly distanced himself from the government, especially when he called for a “systematic investigation” into the events around October 7 two weeks ago.
Despite demands from the public and the opposition, the Israeli government has so far refused to set up a national commission of inquiry into possible abuses by authorities in connection with the attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has always emphasized that possible wrongdoing at the political level should only be investigated after the war in the Gaza Strip ends.
According to Israeli information, more than 1,200 people were killed in a major attack by Hamas and its allied Islamic groups on October 7, 2023, and around 250 hostages were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip. The attack sparked war in the Gaza Strip, where Israel launched a massive military action and killed more than 69,000 people, according to Hamas. The ceasefire has been in effect since October 10.
