Ex-IDF Chief Halevi: No Betrayal on October 7th, Only Failure

By חדשות כיפה

Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba

Religious-right

Hebrew · 8 newsrooms covering

Former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi declared there was no internal betrayal on October 7th, calling it a preventable failure. Speaking in New York, he urged political leaders to publicly deny betrayal theories, citing a lack of evidence after three years. Halevi also defended military pressure in Gaza as crucial for hostage recovery and discussed the IDF's pre-attack assessment of Hamas's intentions.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Former IDF Chief Herzi Halevi stated there was no internal betrayal on October 7th.
Halevi called the October 7th events a preventable failure, not an act of treason.
He urged political and civilian leadership to publicly deny betrayal theories.
Halevi argued military pressure in Gaza was essential for hostage recovery.
The IDF's pre-attack assessment believed Hamas did not want war, Halevi said.

Ex-IDF Chief Halevi: No Betrayal on October 7th, Only Failure — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated unequivocally that there was no internal betrayal on October 7th, attributing the events to a preventable failure. Speaking at a Shurat HaDin conference in New York, Halevi dismissed theories of betrayal, emphasizing that after three years, no individual has been found to have aided Hamas. He asserted that such a conspiracy would require a wide network, not a single person, and urged political and civilian leadership to publicly affirm this.

Halevi stressed the necessity for Israel to conduct a thorough investigation into the failures that led to the surprise attack as part of its healing process. He also addressed the debate surrounding military pressure in Gaza and its impact on hostage recovery, arguing that without it, the hostages would not have been returned. While acknowledging that mistakes were made during the fighting, including instances where IDF bombs inadvertently killed hostages, he maintained these were unintentional and that the military worked to improve hostage location capabilities.

He further commented on the IDF's pre-attack assessment, which indicated Hamas was not interested in war, as the group aimed to project an image of managing life in Gaza. Halevi suggested that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar actively worked to reinforce this perception to surprise Israel.