Israel’s military chief has called for a "systemic investigation" into the failures that led to the October 7, 2023, surprise blitz, as the government continues to resist establishing a state commission of inquiry.
Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir made the appeal after an expert committee he had appointed released a report marking the conclusion of the army’s internal investigations into the surprise blitz.
"The expert committee's report presented today is a significant step toward achieving the comprehensive understanding that we, as a society and as an organisation, require," Zamir said in the report.
"However, to ensure that such failures never recur, a broader understanding is needed — one that encompasses the inter-organisational and inter-hierarchical interfaces that have not yet been examined," he added.
"To that end, a broad and comprehensive systemic investigation is now necessary."
Pressure on Netanyahu
Public pressure for a national inquiry has grown steadily, with polls showing broad support across the political spectrum for an independent investigation to determine responsibility for the country’s worst intelligence failure in decades.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, however, has rejected calls to establish a state commission until after the Israeli genocide in Gaza ends.
Under Israeli law, such a commission must be approved by the government, but its members are appointed by the Supreme Court — an institution Netanyahu’s coalition has repeatedly accused of left-wing bias.
Curbing the court’s authority was a central aim of the government’s judicial overhaul plan, a project that divided Israeli society and threw it into political turmoil before the Gaza genocide started.
Pressed by the opposition in parliament on Monday to clarify his position, Netanyahu accused them of trying to use an inquiry as a "political tool."
He instead proposed forming an investigative body "based on broad national consensus," similar to the US commission set up after the September 11 attacks — a suggestion swiftly rejected by the opposition.
The expert committee’s report found that Hamas’ surprise blitz "occurred against the backdrop of high-quality and exceptional intelligence that was already in the possession of various IDF (Israeli army) units."
"From an internal military perspective, it is evident that despite the warning, the necessary military actions were not taken to improve the IDF's (Israeli army’s) alertness or readiness," it added, calling the failure "long-standing, systemic, and organisational."
