Disclosures from Israeli channel brings to light significant findings from investigations into October 7, 2023, attack

(MENAFN) Recent disclosures from Israel's Channel 12 have brought to light significant findings from investigations into the October 7, 2023, attack, a year after the event led to considerable turmoil in the region. These investigations revealed that division commanders had delivered alarming evaluations to Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy during his visit to the Gaza Division on September 12, 2023. They emphasized the escalating chaos along the separation barrier with Gaza, which included videos showing suspicious trucks nearing the border and data indicating a sharp increase in Hamas's military activities.

Brigadier General Avi Rosenfeld, who heads the Gaza Division, voiced his concerns about the worsening situation. However, Chief of Staff Halevy maintained that Hamas had been sufficiently deterred, suggesting that troops at the border should remain vigilant for any surprise developments.

In spite of these red flags, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) made a surprising decision to decrease troop numbers along the Gaza border. On the day of the attack, Hamas fighters managed to breach the border fence 120 times, which allowed them to infiltrate the settlements adjacent to Gaza. Reports indicated that thousands of Hamas militants confronted only about 600 Israeli soldiers, many of whom were ill-prepared, with some even in their pajamas.

The IDF's Operations Division, despite receiving concerning intelligence, opted to reduce the military presence at the border. Initially, three infantry battalions and one armored battalion were slated to be deployed along the 59-kilometer stretch bordering Gaza. However, the operations division decided to allow about one-third of these troops to go home. Additionally, officials from the Gaza Division made the decision to send more than half of their forces back during the Saturday holidays.

Yisrael Ziv, the former head of the IDF's Operations Division, remarked, "If there had been two other battalions, the Hamas attack could have been thwarted." This statement highlights the critical deficiencies in preparedness and decision-making that played a role in the scale of the attack, prompting serious reflection on the operational choices made leading up to October 7.

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