Israeli occupation army admitted on Thursday its failure to safeguard the Be’eri settlement near Gaza Strip during the October 7, 2023 surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Flood by Hamas resistance group.
In a probe it presented into the battle at the kibbutz the first in its detailed investigations of the many battles of that day – the occupation army highlighted the colossal failures during the wide-scale attack, revealing that Israeli the military was 'not prepared for the extensive infiltration scenario' that unfolded on the day.
Be’eri was the hardest-hit settlement in Hamas’s October 7 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, during which some 3,000 resistance fighters stormed across the border and killed close to 1,200 Israelis, and took 251 captives to Gaza in retaliation to the ongoing Israeli occupation and oppression carried out against Palestinians.
“In all, 101 civilians and 31 security personnel were killed in Be’eri — a community of around 1,000 residents — and a further 30 residents and two more civilians were taken hostage by the Hamas terrorists, 11 of whom still remain in Gaza.
At least 125 homes in the community were damaged and destroyed amid the fighting,” according to the investigation, cited by The Times of Israel.
The probe concluded that the Israeli occupation military “failed in its mission to protect the residents of Kibbutz Be’eri,” largely since the military had never prepared for such an event.
The Israeli army had trained for “single intrusions” and as a result, its forces were deployed in such a way that there were no troops that could be sent to Be’eri amid the widescale attack, according to the probe.
The investigation revealed that the Israeli military had difficulty in command and control of the situation during the first hours of the fighting in Be’eri.
The probe also found cases in which troops acted inappropriately vis-à-vis civilians, such as not shielding them amid rocket attacks in the area.
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Be’eri probe: Israeli army failed to protect kibbutz during Hamas attack
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