Retired General Slams IDF Brass for Evading Blame for Oct. 7 Failures
Retired Brigadier General Oren Solomon, who led an inquiry into the Gaza Division's performance on October 7, has accused senior IDF officials of attempting to shift blame downwards and away from the military's top echelon. Solomon alleges that top brass, including the former Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and the head of the Operations Directorate, Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, failed to communicate adequately with the Gaza Division commander on the day of the Hamas attack and neglected to review crucial operational systems.
Solomon's investigation reportedly found that the then-Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, did not contact the Gaza Division commander at all on October 7, with their first conversation only occurring that evening. Even then, Solomon claims, Halevi's initial question was not about the unfolding massacre but about an "offensive tunnel." He also stated that Maj. Gen. Basiuk, despite being second-in-command for army operations, was largely absent from public discussion of the failures and also failed to communicate with the Gaza Division commander.
Furthermore, Solomon asserted that the Southern Command's commander and its headquarters also lacked consistent contact with their Gaza Division counterparts during the critical hours. He revealed that approximately 90% of the situation picture during the first four hours of the attack was available in real-time on the IDF's digital "Ma'aseh" systems, yet the Chief of Staff allegedly did not access them.
Solomon believes this is part of an "influence campaign" by the "blue side" (referring to the military establishment) to divert public attention from the military leadership's responsibility. He specifically referenced a recent report in the newspaper Haaretz, which claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a warning from the UAE president days before the attack. The Prime Minister's Office vehemently denied this report, calling it a "complete lie." Solomon argued that the focus should be on the military's failures, stating, "This great disaster has a name, an address, a personal number, commanders, and those responsible."
