IDF Armored Brigade Commander Fears Repeat of October 7th Scale Attack

Colonel Shaul Israeli, commander of the 7th Armored Brigade, expressed concern on Wednesday about the possibility of another surprise attack on the scale of October 7th. Speaking on Kan News's "Ba'Hertzi Hayom" radio program, Israeli stated, "No one can say it can't happen, and I fear an event of this magnitude will occur. Everyone should be afraid." He emphasized that such events must continue to influence the thinking and preparedness of IDF commanders.

Israeli suggested that the Yom Kippur War and October 7th should be fundamental assumptions for commanders, urging them to "look for blind spots, prepare for surprises, and build the capability to act even when assessments prove wrong." On the morning of October 7th, Israeli served as head of planning for the Ground Forces. He recalled that initial reports of forces moving south were initially assessed as a localized incident, and the full scope of the event was not understood.

Regarding lessons learned since the failure, Israeli highlighted learning as the primary change enabling forces to improve and achieve decisive results in battles. He stressed the need for humility, the spirit of the soldiers, and the ability to learn during combat and implement lessons in various arenas. When asked about achieving victory with Hamas still in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israeli defined victory on a tactical level, citing decisive tactical outcomes in operations against infrastructure in Lebanon and in Gaza.