The investigation decided that Hamas terrorists failed to attain their main goal of capturing Camp Yiftach, situated north of the Gaza Strip, regardless of years of planning for this purpose.
Extraordinary acts of heroism by Israeli troopers at a military base on the Gaza border averted a Hamas strategic victory in the course of the October assault, an Israel Protection Forces inquiry launched on Tuesday revealed.
The investigation decided that Hamas terrorists failed to attain their main goal of capturing Camp Yiftah situated north of the Gaza Strip, regardless of years of planning for this particular purpose.
The fast response and decided combating by troopers from Battalion 77 of the seventh Brigade proved decisive in thwarting the enemy’s plan, although terrorists did handle to briefly penetrate the camp earlier than retreating to Gaza with a stolen navy automobile.
The protection started at 6:29 a.m. when patrol forces, already positioned alongside the shoreline, acquired experiences of suspicious motion. With out ready for orders, the patrol instantly moved towards the risk, arriving simply as two terrorists tried to breach the border barrier.
Their fast motion, supported by tank fireplace, stopped this infiltration route and prevented terrorists from reaching the close by Moshav Netiv Ha’asara civilian neighborhood.
A VIEW of Zikim Seashore (credit score: IDF SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT)
Concurrently, Hamas launched a sea-borne assault on Zikim seaside with seven boats carrying terrorists. Captain Itai Maor led a reconnaissance power that engaged the maritime infiltrators, along with his unit combating “till the final bullet” regardless of being closely outnumbered.
The investigation famous that roughly 15 terrorists have been eradicated throughout numerous battle websites, together with two on the Erez police station, three who disembarked from boats, and ten extra in combating alongside the barrier and firing ranges.
At Camp Yiftah itself, Sergeant Ofir Zioni emerged as a key determine. When huge gunfire erupted on the base, Zioni took one other fighter and moved towards the shore to determine contact with approaching terrorists, coordinating with naval forces to get rid of the primary terrorist boat.
He continued combating from a harmful ahead place till he was fatally wounded. The investigation praised his “distinctive management and braveness,” with one officer stating that Zioni “deserves to be highlighted” for his selfless actions.
The battle intensified when terrorists penetrated deeper into the camp. Corporal Naama Boni, stationed at a essential guard place, known as for assistance on WhatsApp whereas below fireplace.
Regardless of being vastly outnumbered, with greater than twenty terrorists dealing with a handful of defenders, troopers like Lieutenant Yoav Aliev continued combating even whereas wounded. Aliev was famous for writing in his pocket book in the course of the battle: “These are probably the most important minutes of my life, the very best twenty minutes of my life.”
Nonetheless, the investigation additionally delivered harsh criticism of troopers who remained in shelters all through the assault as a substitute of becoming a member of the protection. The report characterised their conduct as “inappropriate” and constituting “an ethical {and professional} failure” that compromised the camp’s defensive capabilities throughout this unprecedented assault.
Tuesday’s report is the most recent in a collection of detailed military probes, summaries of which have been launched, of how some 5,000 terrorists from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad managed to assault quite a few Israeli communities and overrun the military’s border positions. The military’s chain of command broke amid the chaos, and troopers have been outnumbered.
How the military misunderstood Hamas’s intentions for years
The investigations discovered that the military misunderstood Hamas’s intentions for years, and as October 7 approached, intelligence in regards to the looming assault was misinterpreted. The navy was additionally extra centered on threats from Iran and its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The IDF probes solely take care of problems with operations, intelligence, and command, not selections made by the political echelon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted requires a proper state fee of inquiry, saying he opposes a “politically biased” probe. Critics accuse Netanyahu of delaying the inquiry and attempting to water down its mandate.
Roughly 1,200 individuals have been killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners have been taken hostage in Hamas’s assaults on Israeli communities close to the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 48 remaining hostages, round 20 are believed to be alive.
