It happened almost 10 months ago, but it feels like yesterday. And now, with the July 11 release of a comprehensive Israel Defense Forces report on the Oct. 7 Hamas-orchestrated terror attack into the Gaza border community of Kibbutz Be’eri, the shock, pain and revulsion have been rekindled.
The report is graphic. It tells the story of the Be’eri community of about 1,000 residents, where 101 civilians and 31 security personnel were killed by marauding terrorists who moved from house to house kidnapping, brutalizing and massacring kibbutz families and guests for several hours. During that time, 30 residents and two visitors were taken hostage by Hamas, 11 of whom are still in Gaza. And more than 125 homes were damaged or destroyed.
The report pulls no punches. It assigns significant blame to the disturbing failures of the IDF to respond timely and meaningfully to the multi-pronged, coordinated attack launched by Hamas and Islamic Jihad across the Gaza border.
The report points to tactical failures in the defense effort, including some that were “understandable” given the lack of information, high intensity, confusion and chaos of the situation, and because of some wrong decisions made by commanders.
As a result, military coverage within the kibbutz was spotty, with some units entering Be’eri and then withdrawing, leaving 13 soldiers and 13 members of the kibbutz security team along with a few armed residents to defend against parts of the invasion. They fought bravely but were overwhelmed.
The Be’eri report is one of many IDF investigations into the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. It is the first one ready for public disclosure. The probe was designed to draw operational conclusions for the military, which the report acknowledged “failed in its mission to protect the residents of Kibbutz Be’eri.”
This report focused only on Be’eri. Other investigations will focus on the broader political issues surrounding the Oct. 7 invasion, including the systemwide military and intelligence failures that occurred.
The probe found that as the Be’eri community was being attacked, the army had difficulty developing a clear understanding of what was happening. In part, that was because the multi-level attack by thousands of terrorists didn’t fit the model of “single intrusions” for which the IDF trained. And reaction to the unanticipated attack was slow and inefficient.
The report goes into meticulous detail regarding the timing, skirmishes, successes and failures of efforts to defend the Be’eri community. It identifies the attackers, the defenders and many of the victims. And it reports on the timeline, challenges and spotty results of organized military relief efforts.
The report does not paint a pretty picture. While it highlights the heroism of many who sought to defend against the attackers and identifies by name many involved, it catalogs defense efforts in a manner that makes clear that the citizens of Be’eri were let down by those who had sworn to protect them.
The report is honest, transparent and clear. And IDF leadership is appropriately apologetic for its military and intelligence failures. Oct. 7 was a heart-wrenching wake-up call. Those failures cannot be allowed to happen again.