Internal Report Reveals Security Failures at Tel Nof Airbase During October 7 Attack
An exclusive internal investigation from Tel Nof Airbase, one of the Israeli Air Force's key bases, has uncovered multiple critical failures during the October 7 attack. The report, finalized in June 2024 and obtained by News 14 journalists Hillel Biton Rozen and Noam Amir, details how the base was caught by surprise, suffered direct hits within its perimeter, and faced significant challenges in damage assessment and operational continuity.
The investigation reveals that Tel Nof endured five direct strikes inside its fence during the initial hours of combat, at a time when Iron Dome missile defense was not deployed at the base. Damage assessments began on the morning of October 7 but only became complete days later after additional damages were identified. A major issue highlighted was a significant gap in recognizing damage to the runways caused by intercepted missiles, which complicated risk management and base operations during the fighting.
The report also criticizes the neglect of protected shelters within the base, which had been overlooked for years, compromising functional continuity and endangering aircrew. Given the base's proximity to populated areas, the report stresses the need for enhanced internal defenses and external force reinforcement, improvements that were only partially addressed after the General Staff intervened.
A particularly alarming finding concerns intelligence security. The base was described as "completely breached" from an intelligence perspective, with hostile elements operating nearby and actions taken by the Shin Bet and Israeli Police to counter this. This vulnerability was only discovered after enemy forces captured materials from the base. The report notes that similar intelligence and operational deficiencies were found in other Air Force bases, impacting Israel's defense and offensive capabilities in the early stages of the conflict.
The IDF responded by affirming that Tel Nof has been continuously operational since October 7, maintaining full readiness and contributing significantly to offensive and defensive missions, including deploying thousands of troops to border communities. The Air Force emphasized that the investigation is part of a comprehensive, classified review aimed at learning lessons and strengthening future operational preparedness. Despite the identified issues, the report states there was no compromise to the Air Force's overall combat readiness or functional continuity. Due to security concerns, the IDF declined to disclose further details from the classified document.
