Israel to Conduct ‘Thorough Examination’ of Oct. 7 Failures After War Ended: Netanyahu

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu said that his government will need to provide ‘a thorough explanation’ about what went wrong during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
Israel to Conduct ‘Thorough Examination’ of Oct. 7 Failures After War Ended: Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group, in Jerusalem on Feb. 18, 2024. Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Aldgra Fredly
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a “thorough examination” of his government’s failures during the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack will be conducted after the war in Gaza ends.

During an interview with “Dr. Phil” McGraw on Thursday, Mr. Netanyahu admitted that there were “failures” on his government’s part as the people were left unprotected during the Hamas terror attack.

“There were failures, obviously,” he said. “The government’s first responsibility is to protect the people. That’s the ultimate enveloping responsibility. And the people weren’t protected. We have to admit that.”

Mr. Netanyahu said the government will need to provide “a thorough explanation” to the people about what went wrong on the night when the attack occurred.

He said that Israeli authorities will need to conduct a “thorough examination” of the incident once the war in Gaza has concluded, to find out “exactly what happened, how it happened, and who made it happen.”

“I hold myself and everyone on this. I think we have to examine how it happened. What was the intelligence failure? What was the military failure?” he said. “We can delve into it but I think the important thing right now is to make sure that we don’t have another failure.”

Israeli soldiers look at the remains of a police station that was the site of a battle following a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel, on Oct. 8, 2023. (Reuters/Ronen Zvulun)
Israeli soldiers look at the remains of a police station that was the site of a battle following a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel, on Oct. 8, 2023. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun

Mr. Netanyahu said that Israel’s goal now is to achieve victory in its war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza, noting that it would be the country’s “greatest failure” if Hamas were to control Gaza again.

Hamas terrorists killed about 1,200 people and abducted over 250 hostages during their Oct. 7 attack on Israel, triggering Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza, which the Hamas-run health department said now has led to over 34,800 deaths. This number includes both combatants and civilians.

Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aharon tendered his resignation last month over his “leadership responsibility” for the Hamas-led attack. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced his resignation on April 22, thanking him for his 38 years of service in the IDF.
President Joe Biden speaks to guests during an event at Gateway Technical College’s iMet Center in Sturtevant, Wis., on May 8, 2024. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden speaks to guests during an event at Gateway Technical College’s iMet Center in Sturtevant, Wis., on May 8, 2024. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Mr. Netanyahu’s interview came after President Joe Biden announced that the United States will not “supply the weapons and artillery shells” to Israel if the Israeli leader proceeds with his plan to invade Rafah, where about half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are seeking shelter.

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” President Biden said in an exclusive interview with CNN on May 8.
Mr. Netanyahu retaliated the next day with a video message in which he pledged in which he pledged the nation would fight Hamas alone if necessary.

“If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. But we have much more than fingernails,” the Israeli leader said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The Biden administration has said that it won’t support Israel’s military operation in Rafah if there is no action plan in place to protect civilians there. President Biden had also conveyed to Mr. Netanyahu his “clear position” on Rafah during a phone discussion last month.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States had attempted to convince Israel that “there is a different way to go about dealing with the Hamas threat in Rafah and succeeding in ensuring the long-term defense and security of Israel.”

“What I can tell you is the U.S. position has been clear on this,” Mr. Sullivan told reporters on April 24. “We are still in those conversations, and we will still continue to press our perspective.”

Emel Akan contributed to this report.
Aldgra Fredly
Aldgra Fredly
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Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.