Retired General Claims Cover-Up of October 7 Failures

Retired Brigadier General Oren Solomon, who commanded the Gaza Division's fighting on October 7 and later led the division's war inquiry team, stated in an interview on Radio Galey Yisrael that there is an attempt to cover up the failures of October 7 to protect the General Staff. Solomon asserted that intelligence officers with broader responsibility than Aryeh Amidror, a former intelligence officer in the Gaza Division, should be held accountable. He also claimed that failures and cover-ups occurred in the Navy and Air Force, stating, "The Air Force knew everything and was grossly negligent during the night." Solomon suggested that silence among personnel stems from fear of rank and authority, rather than loyalty, and that the goal is to shift responsibility from senior intelligence officers, who possessed more information and greater responsibility, to field-level personnel. He called this a "value disgrace," arguing that instead of admitting mistakes, blame is being placed on those who fought on the ground.

Solomon further stated that the Gaza Division and its personnel were the only ones in the IDF who brought people back during the night of October 7, while no other unit, including those in the Operations Directorate, Intelligence Directorate, Unit 8200, or the Southern Command, did the same. He claimed that these facts are being distorted in inquiries. Solomon also revealed that the IDF initiated an investigation against him, which he believes was intended to neutralize him and send a deterrent message to the entire military: "Don't speak, lest something happen to you." Separately, commentator Ayla Hasson predicted that this situation would motivate the right-wing to vote in elections.