An investigation into the Israeli military's failures before the devastating Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, has highlighted gaps in intelligence gathering, erroneous assumptions about Hamas, and "systematic" failures in the readiness and response of the Israel Defense Forces.
The 19-page report released by Israeli military structures said there were gaps in the Intelligence Directorate's understanding of Hamas' "strategic goals, decision-making processes" and operational plans that contributed to its failure to stop the largest terrorist attack in the country's history.
Despite having relevant information, the intelligence community failed to recognize Hamas' transition from a "resolute" and "pragmatic" group to one actively planning a large-scale offensive, he said.
The report notes that as early as 2016, Hamas had begun preparations for "a large-scale attack" aimed at breaching the Gaza border, "invading Israeli territory" and causing mass casualties. It identified several instances where intelligence indicators, such as Hamas "training exercises" and operational plans, were "misinterpreted" or dismissed as "unrealistic," CNN notes. These indicators, had they been properly analyzed, could have revealed Hamas' intentions, the report says.
Meanwhile, an attack at a bus station in northern Israel wounded 14 people, one of them in critical condition, a hospital spokesman said. The 14 injured were initially taken to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center before two patients, one in critical condition, were airlifted to Sheba Hospital.
Israeli police said the suspected attacker had nationalist motives and was a Palestinian from Jenin in the northern Israeli-occupied West Bank who was married to an Israeli citizen. (A2 Televizion)
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