Seven Unanswered Questions Linger Three Years After October 7th Massacre

Three years after the October 7th massacre, which irrevocably altered Israel, significant questions remain without definitive answers. A project by Kan News on Reshet Bet, titled "7 Questions in October," revisits seven major questions stemming from that dark day and the ongoing war. The report features interviews with survivors and those involved in the events, who continue to grapple with their consequences.

Regarding the possibility of earlier hostage releases, retired Colonel Moshe Tal, a former senior official in the Hostages Headquarters, suggested that opportunities existed during the war, though not necessarily as fully formed deals that Israel rejected. The collapse of the IDF's defense line within 90 minutes on October 7th is examined by retired Brigadier General Guy Hazut, former commander of the Edom Formation. He attributes the rapid failure not solely to the Gaza Division but to a systemic breakdown in decision-making over years.

The question of whether residents can return to the Gaza envelope is explored through Uri Epstein, head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, whose son was murdered in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. While he personally chose to live, he stressed that residents will not return without government and military accountability and lessons learned. Survivors Irith Lahav and her daughter Lotus, who hid for 11 hours in a safe room in Nir Oz, expressed a lack of security, stating, "This place won't really protect me."

Michal Yaniv, former head of department at the National Security Council, addresses the global disbelief regarding sexual assaults on October 7th, attributing it to a form of hypocrisy and a desire to ignore uncomfortable truths about the modern world. Eli Groner, former Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office, argues that focusing on who called whom on the night of the massacre misses the larger issue: a shared perception among political and security echelons that Hamas did not seek war and that a policy of 'maintaining' the organization was appropriate.

Former IDF spokesperson for international media, retired Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, analyzes the shift in global public opinion against Israel. He notes that while initial international support was strong after the massacre, Israeli officials' and unofficial figures' statements contributed to the country's increasing isolation. Hostage survivor Maxim Harquin shares his perspective on finding happiness again after his ordeal, reflecting on the new meaning of joy amidst his trauma. Separately, Gadi Moses is quoted as saying that Prime Minister Netanyahu opposes an inquiry commission because he knows what happened.