Herzi Halevi Calls October 7 Attack a Preventable Failure

Former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated at a Shurat HaDin conference in New York that the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel was a preventable failure. While acknowledging serious intelligence and operational lapses, Halevi firmly rejected allegations that security personnel betrayed the state, arguing that no evidence of a collaborator network has emerged in the three years since the event.

Halevi urged the Israeli government to establish a state commission of inquiry to investigate the military and political failures. This call comes amid a political dispute with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has resisted a commission appointed by the Supreme Court president. Halevi emphasized that the political leadership must unequivocally deny claims of internal betrayal.

Reflecting on the subsequent conflict, Halevi admitted that Israeli military bombs unintentionally killed hostages whose locations were unknown. He also revealed that Israel warned Hezbollah on the morning of October 7 that any intervention would result in a "very heavy hammer" falling on Lebanon. Additionally, Halevi noted that it took significant time to convince political leaders to authorize the ground offensive in Gaza, which began nearly three weeks after the initial invasion.