State Comptroller Report Reveals Systemic Failures in Evacuating Wounded on October 7 Terror Attack

The State Comptroller's report, released on June 30, 2026, by outgoing Comptroller Matanyahu Englman, exposes critical systemic failures in the evacuation of wounded civilians during the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023. Englman attributes the root cause to the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) failure to protect southern communities, which led to the collapse of established evacuation plans. The report highlights an eight-hour delay in coordinating evacuation points with Magen David Adom (MDA), resulting in life-threatening delays in transporting injured civilians to hospitals during the attack's most critical hours.

Approximately 49% of the wounded had to evacuate themselves to hospitals in southern Israel, relying on local residents and forces rather than official military evacuation systems. The Southern Command commander acknowledged that these self-evacuations were essential and saved lives. The report also criticizes the IDF's failure to utilize a digital medical command system implemented by MDA in 2022, which could have provided real-time locations of injured civilians, as many military medical personnel were unaware of its existence.

A severe shortage of bulletproof ambulances was noted, with only one such ambulance available in the Gaza envelope area on the morning of October 7, out of 24 nationwide. This represented just 48% of the recommended capacity established since 2016, as government ministries had not secured funding for armored ambulances before the war. Following the attack, MDA deployed seven additional armored ambulances to the area. The Southern Command commander emphasized the need to increase the number of armored ambulances and establish clear standards.

Hospitals Soroka and Barzilai received about 70% of the wounded, but the Supreme Hospitalization Authority convened only at 2 p.m., despite heavy patient loads from early morning. This delay caused many patients to remain in southern hospitals for extended periods before transfer to central Israel. The report sharply criticizes the IDF for not conducting a comprehensive investigation into the evacuation failures and notes that MDA has yet to complete a full operational review.

The report also critiques Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for appointing a single minister, MK Moshe Arbel, to oversee both the Health and Interior Ministries during the first five days of the attack, complicating crisis management. Arbel later relinquished the Health Ministry to focus on Interior Affairs.

Despite the criticisms, Englman commended the dedicated care provided by hospitals and rescue teams under extreme conditions. The Defense Ministry responded by outlining ongoing rehabilitation efforts for over 25,000 wounded soldiers and plans to implement expert recommendations addressing the report's findings. The Health Ministry acknowledged the unprecedented challenges of October 7, emphasizing the healthcare system's life-saving response and ongoing improvements in coordination with the IDF to enhance future emergency readiness.