Ex-IDF Chief Halevi: Oct. 7 Was a Preventable Failure, No Internal Betrayal

Former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated for the first time publicly that the October 7th Hamas attack was a failure that could have been prevented, while vehemently rejecting any notion of internal betrayal within the security establishment. Speaking at the Shurat HaDin conference in New York, Halevi asserted, "One hundred percent there was no betrayal," and called on political leadership to state this clearly. He explained that he could detail the events of October 7th and did not believe any colleague would betray Israel after decades of service. Halevi also argued that the betrayal theory was impractical, as aiding Hamas would require a large network, and no such individual has been found.

Halevi emphasized the necessity of a state commission of inquiry to learn from the failures, stating, "October 7th was a failure that could have been prevented. We must look failure in the eye to be able to fix it." He cited the case of Shiri Bibas and her children, who were kidnapped and murdered, as a personal example of the failure, saying, "We were not there in time to help and save her. This is the failure."

Addressing the war's objectives, Halevi discussed disagreements with political leadership regarding the ground maneuver in Gaza, noting it took time to convince them to enter the Strip. He argued that strong military pressure inside Gaza was essential for the return of hostages, a point he could prove. Halevi also admitted that Israeli airstrikes had unintentionally killed hostages, stating, "Unfortunately, we made mistakes. Our bombs killed hostages. Of course, it was not intentional. We did not know they were there."

Regarding the security perception prior to the attack, Halevi explained that Iran, Hezbollah, and then Hamas were the priorities, as the assessment was that Hamas did not intend such a large-scale attack but rather sought to consolidate its rule. He revealed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar deliberately worked to foster this misperception, believing Israel would avoid a ground maneuver due to the urban complexity. Halevi also disclosed that Israel sent a strong message to Hezbollah on October 7th, warning of severe repercussions if they joined the conflict.