Israel's comptroller to probe failure to prevent Oct 7 Hamas attack

Washington, Dec 28

The Israeli state comptroller will probe the 'multi-system failures' in the government’s security system which failed to detect the October 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took 240 as hostages.

“No stone will be left unturned in determining personal responsibility for the failures at all levels -- policy, military and civilian," Matanyahu Englman, the state comptroller, said on Wednesday.

Matanyahu will investigate the conduct of the government’s security cabinet, that of policymakers and the military, intelligence preparedness prior to October 7, the defence posture on the Gaza border, the preparedness of the civilian security squads in the Gaza border region before the war, the funding of Hamas, and the lack of equipment for IDF soldiers, according to the Times of Israel.

"The nature of the massacre, its repercussions, and the failures emerging in connection with it to this day, as well as our moral and ethical duty to the fallen, the wounded, the kidnapped, and the soldiers who put their lives on the line to defend their homeland require the state comptroller's scrutiny of the personal responsibility of all ranks -- civilian, military and governmental," he said on Wednesday.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declined to take responsibility for his alleged failure to detect the attack.

“I’ve already addressed that many times, and I said this whole question will be addressed after the war,” he had told CNN in mid-November.

“Well, I said that I’m going to answer all the questions that are required, including the question of responsibility. There’ll be enough time for that after the war. Let’s focus on victory. That’s my responsibility now,” he had said.

A number of other Israeli officials have claimed responsibility for their failure in detecting the attack.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, military intelligence chief Aharon Haliva, Ronen Bar, Director of the Shin Bet intelligence agency, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, his predecessor Benny Gantz, and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett have all done so.

Netanyahu had also posted on X in October that he was told “several times” by the intelligence community that “Hamas is deterred", though he later deleted the post and apologised.