Several mistakes were made during the late defense of the kibbutz Be'eri during the Hamas terror attack last year. This is stated by the Israeli army in its first partial investigation of the military's response to the fateful attack that triggered the ongoing Gaza war.
Be'eri, located just a few kilometers from the border with Gaza, was one of the communities that were hardest hit by Hamas' attack early in the morning on October 7. Over 100 people were killed in the kibbutz and 30 were taken hostage.
The military has received sharp criticism for taking too long to arrive at the scene and for a disorganized effort when it finally arrived.
The investigators conclude "that the army failed in its mission to protect the inhabitants" in Be'eri, reports Israeli media. The military had never prepared for a scenario where an entire community in Israel would be besieged by terrorists, nor for multiple locations being attacked at the same time.
Trained for individual intrusions
Instead, they had focused on exercises for individual intrusions, which in the acute situation made it difficult to effectively deploy soldiers, according to the report.
The investigators further state that the operation in the kibbutz was characterized by a lack of command and coordination between different forces. "This caused several incidents where security forces gathered at the kibbutz entrance instead of engaging in immediate combat," they write.
On the other hand, they seem to clear themselves of blame in a particularly notable incident where the military fired at a house where the attackers were holding several hostages. Many have wondered if it was the Israeli tank fire that killed the 13 hostages.
Several upcoming investigations
The military investigators conclude that no civilians in the building were injured by the tank fire. However, according to the report, two civilians outside the building were hit by shrapnel.
The investigation is the first to be presented of several partial reports on the military's actions on October 7.
In total, around 1,150 people fell victim to the terror attack, most of them civilians, and more than 200 people were taken hostage.
