IOF brigade commander resigns over Oct 7 failures: 'I failed'
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An internal IOF probe revealed that the colonel was responsible for many significant lapses of judgement and decision-making, leading to "Israel's" failure on October 7.
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Israeli soldiers lower the coffin of an Israeli Staff Sergeant at the Holon military cemetery, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, on Thursday, November 2, 2023. (AP)
The commander responsible for the Israeli Occupation Forces' overseeing the Gaza border resigned, citing his failures on October 7.
Colonel Haim Cohen, the commander of the Northern Brigade within the IOF’s Southern Command, submitted his resignation to Major General Yaron Finkelman, the head of the Southern Command. In a letter that was made public on Wednesday, Cohen took responsibility for his brigade's failure to counter the surprise assault.
“On October 7, the brigade under my command failed in its mission to protect the residents of the Gaza envelope when a surprise war broke out,” Cohen stated in his letter, adding that “In terms of results, I failed!!!”
Cohen was responsible for overseeing the area that included the Nova music festival site and the kibbutzim Be’eri and Nahal Oz, some of the hardest-hit locations during the attack.
Instead of leading on the ground, he opted to direct operations from the division’s command center, “The brigade commander should have positioned himself, as doctrine dictates in a surprise assault, in a location where he could influence the brigade-level battle from the field,” military investigators stated in their review.
Internal IOF investigations later identified him as being connected to major lapses in judgment and decision-making, including failures in securing the Nahal Oz military post.
The review revealed that Cohen presented a misleading account of the situation in Nahal Oz, including inaccuracies about the locations of elite units: A whiteboard in his office incorrectly showed that special forces, including Sayeret Matkal, the Yamam counterterror unit, and the Shayetet 13 naval commando unit, were active in the area.
IOF reveal results of October 7 probe
On March 4, the Israeli occupation published the results of its investigation into the October 7, 2023, events at the village of Kfar Aza and the Nahal Oz base.
The investigation revealed a series of failures that allowed Hamas fighters to kill and capture Israeli settlers. One of which was the shortage of soldiers at the base.
The investigation stated that Military Intelligence and the General Security Service (Shin Bet) failed to issue any warning before the attack.
The investigation further detailed that 250 Hamas fighters entered Kfar Aza, killing 64 people and capturing 19 others, while the fighting continued in the area for three days.
According to the investigation, which highlights a series of leadership failures, "the failure to manage the fighting in Kfar Aza was due to serious mistakes made during the battle," and the lack of coordination between the forces" resulted in the tragic outcome of dozens being killed and captured."
The investigation also revealed that Hamas fighters were able to take control of the village of Kfar Aza within the first hour of the attack due to a shortage of soldiers and the confusion that prevailed in the area.
