Israeli probe unveils dimensions of 'disaster' in Be'eri: Halevi

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
12 Jul 2024 05:44
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An Israeli military probe into the events of October 7, in Kibbutz Be'eri, found that settlers were killed in friendly fire and that troops abandoned the battle.

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A building that came under friendly fire by Israeli occupation forces in Kibbutz Be'eri is seen in a picture taken on January 11, 2024, in occupied Palestine. (AP)

The Israeli military investigation into the October 7 events at Kibbutz Be’eri has exposed severe leadership and operational shortcomings.

The report underscores the occupation military's painful and humiliating failure, highlighting the military’s unpreparedness and its inability to safeguard the settlement, built on usurped Palestinian lands outside the Gaza Strip.

The investigation reveals a distressing scenario of confusion and indecision among field commanders. Despite the presence of significant Israeli military forces, commanders hesitated to advance through the entrance of the Kibbutz Be'eri.

This hesitation and lack of coordination resulted in a grievous delay, allowing the Palestinian Resistance fighters to carry out their plans with minimal engagement.

The spokesperson for the Israeli occupation forces, Daniel Hagari, acknowledged multiple errors and emphasized the necessity of recognizing these failures to prevent future occurrences.

The report also highlighted the scale of the attack, with an estimated 340 Palestinian Resistance fighters entering Kibbutz Be’eri. Moreover, the delayed response of occupation forces saw only a single team from the elite Shaldag Unit arrive at the kibbutz, which withdrew after being dealt several casualties by Resistance fighters.

The failure to stay to fight alongside the local security team and settlers represented poor decision-making and a serious professional error, the probe found.

Israeli occupation forces' chief-of-staff, Herzi Halevi, said that the probe "clearly illustrates the magnitude of the failure and the dimensions of the disaster that befell the residents of the south who protected their families with their bodies for many hours, and the IDF was not there to protect them."

Israeli forces killed multiple settlers in Be'eri

The investigation also detailed an incident in which Israeli settlers were killed by their own military and security forces in Be'eri. The probe found that Israeli occupation forces killed at least one settler, Adi Dagan, who was being held in the dwelling unit of a settler by Palestinian Resistance fighters.

Israeli occupation forces and special forces had encircled the dwelling unit for several hours, during which at least four tank shells were fired at and near the building. One of the shells struck near the doorway of the dwelling unit, killing one settler and injuring another.

Another shell impacted the roof of the building at 6:57 pm and came in the context of the Israeli occupation forces hastily attempting to retrieve the captives before sundown.

Special forces also decided to enter the dwelling unit, supposedly engaging in a gun battle with Resistance fighters, where only one of the captives survived. 14 other settlers were killed in the battle, and the probe could only determine the cause of death for Dagan.

Israeli opposition members, officials call for wide-scale probe

Israeli opposition leaders and politicians demanded a governmental commission launch a wider-scale probe into the events of October 7, some of whom lambasted the investigation for failing to hold top security and military officials accountable

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said that the probe and the speech of Security Minister Yoav Gallant "prove even more the need for a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7."

Gallant had pointed to the need for a wide-ranging probe into the events of October 7 at an earlier time.

"The government cannot continue to avoid its responsibility toward the citizens of Israel, the families of the fallen and families of hostages,” Lapid wrote on X.

Another member of the Israeli Knesset and a member of the ruling Likud Party, Tally Goltiv, criticized investigators for focusing on Israeli troops and their actions, rather than the heads of Israeli security and military establishment.

"Shame on the IDF’s top brass for publishing an investigation into the conduct of our forces, who were few in number with zero [advance] intel, against 3,000 terrorists," she wrote.