Shin Bet admits failure on Oct 7, accuses political leadership
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According to the Shin Bet, the main factors that led to failure were "failure to utilize agents, analyze information, and coordinate with the army."
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Israelis protest outside of the hotel where US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is staying during a visit with Israeli leadership, in Tel Aviv on October 22, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Shin Bet Israeli security service published its internal investigation into Operation Al Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023.
Hamas successfully struck the Israeli military’s command and control within the first minutes of its multifaceted operation, which involved land, air, and sea assaults.
Israeli media reported that most field commanders—ranging from platoon and company leaders to battalion commanders—were killed at the outset of the attack, including three brigade commanders.
The military’s investigations pointed to a complete lack of preparedness across all formations, including the collapse of intelligence from both Aman and the Shin Bet, highlighting that the Israeli military's Gaza Division "was defeated within the first two hours of the operation."
According to the Shin Bet, the main factors that led to failure were "failure to utilize agents, analyze information, and coordinate with the army."
While the Shin Bet admitted in its investigation summary, according to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, that it had failed "in its mission to prevent the attack," it placed part of the responsibility on the "political leadership."
The report held the head of the Israeli occupation, Benjamin Netanyahu, responsible for allowing the transfer of money into Gaza and avoiding the assassinations of Hamas leaders, despite Shin Bet recommendations to follow a proactive approach.
The investigation also pointed to "the lack of effectiveness in gathering human intelligence, and weak recruitment due to the restrictions imposed on the Shin Bet's work in Gaza."
Sources close to Netanyahu criticized the Shin Bet security service report on Tuesday, noting that it "failed to answer the fundamental questions related to the intelligence failures."
The head of the Israeli Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, said in response to a question about the timing of his resignation that he would not be satisfied with the return of 197 captives from Gaza, but would seek to release the remaining 59, adding that "The moment an official investigation committee is formed, into the failure of October 7, I will hand over the baton to one of my distinguished deputies."
