‘No stone will be left unturned’ in examining failures of preventing Hamas attack on Israel
Mike Brest
Video Embed
The Israeli state comptroller announced on Wednesday that his office will examine the “multi-system failures” that permitted the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks to occur.
Matanyahu Englman’s office will investigate the conduct of the government’s security Cabinet, that of policymakers and the military on Oct. 7 itself, intelligence preparedness prior to Oct. 7, the defense posture on the Gaza border, the preparedness of the civilian security squads in the Gaza border region before the war, the funding of Hamas, and the lack of equipment for IDF soldiers, according to the Times of Israel.
WHITE HOUSE DECLINES TO VETO BAN ON APPLE WATCHES AS DEADLINE EXPIRES
“The nature of the massacre, its repercussions, and the failures emerging in connection with it to this day, as well as our moral and ethical duty to the fallen, the wounded, the kidnapped, and the soldiers who put their lives on the line and fight to defend their homeland … require the State Comptroller’s scrutiny of the personal responsibility of all ranks — civilian, military and governmental,” he said on Wednesday.
Englman said, “No stone will be left unturned” in determining “personal responsibility” for the “failures on all levels — policy, military and civilian.”
The comptroller’s office will also look into the government’s actions since the attacks that resulted in roughly 1,200 deaths, civilian evacuations from the communities closest to the borders with Gaza and Lebanon, saving the injured and collecting and identifying the victims, and others.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declined to take responsibility for the attack, instead pointing to after the war for accountability.
“I’ve already addressed that many times, and I said this whole question will be addressed after the war,” he said on CNN in mid-November. “Well, I said that I’m going to answer all the questions that are required, including the questions of responsibility. There’ll be enough time for that after the war. Let’s focus on victory. That’s my responsibility now.”
A number of other Israeli officials have accepted their responsibility for the attack.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, military intelligence chief Aharon Haliva, Ronen Bar, director of the Shin Bet intelligence agency, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, his predecessor, Benny Gantz, and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett all did.
The prime minister also posted on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, in October that he was told “several times” by the intelligence community that “Hamas is deterred,” though he later deleted the post and apologized.