IDF Details Failure to Defend Kibbutz Be’eri During October 7 Atrocities

Latest Developments

Defenders of a kibbutz ravaged by Hamas in the October 7 attack were outnumbered by more than 13-to-1 but managed to hold the line, an Israeli military inquiry found. The report on the 23-hour battle for Kibbutz Be’eri, published on July 11, is the first of a series by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) designed to draw lessons from Israel’s worst-ever national security fiasco.

Hamas killed more than 100 civilians at Be’eri, including a nine-month-old baby, and kidnapped 30 residents, 11 of whom remain in Hamas captivity. Those taken hostage and killed represent more than 10 percent of the population of the community, which sits less than four miles from the Gaza border. The IDF reported that 31 security personnel died while fighting the 340 terrorists who overran the kibbutz.

Expert Analysis

“That the Israeli military suffered an historic debacle on October 7 is no secret. This inquiry aims to provide operational details in order to prevent a repeat and — through this painful transparency — to reassure the country, which traditionally rallies around the IDF.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“Beyond the IDF’s failure to prepare for a large-scale attack, Palestinian groups’ success can be attributed to their years of specialized training in targeting IDF military bases and Israeli communities. This training, which was not a secret, was publicly disseminated in videos by Hamas and other terrorist groups. Israel’s failure to take the military training in the videos seriously and anticipate the potential consequences is one of several reasons that led to the devastating surprise attack on southern Israel.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

“The IDF’s inquiry into the massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri is an important beginning to a series of IDF probes into the failures of October 7. The IDF has said that it failed in its mission to protect Israeli citizens. Now, it is essential that lessons be learned. Israel’s enemies are genocidal, and they should never be underestimated. While technology can help Israel defeat groups like Hamas or Hezbollah, it alone will not be enough and a lesson from the inquiry is that Israel must always plan for the worst-case scenario and weaken its enemies before they strike.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

IDF Report’s Main Conclusions

The report concluded, “The IDF was not prepared for the extensive infiltration scenario that occurred”; the IDF did not have a clear and accurate situational assessment until hours after Hamas launched its assault; the IDF lacked clear command and control, leading to troops not immediately engaging with the enemy; and some Israeli soldiers failed to prioritize preventing the massacre over protecting security forces.

Review of Deadly Hostage Standoff

One of the more controversial elements of the report was its recounting of the events at the home of Be’eri resident Pessi Cohen, where terrorists held 15 Israeli hostages, only two of whom survived. Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram, head of the IDF’s 99th Infantry Division, assumed responsibility for recapturing the kibbutz and freeing the hostages. Hiram arrived at the Cohen home after an Israeli tank fired a shell intended to be a near miss to pressure the Hamas fighters into surrendering. With Hamas gunmen threatening to kill the Israeli hostages, the tank fired three more shells, one of which struck a part of the house and likely killed two Israeli hostages. The IDF concluded that terrorists killed most of the hostages, pushing back against the contention that Hiram gave an order to destroy the house with the hostages inside. Rather, the investigation found that Hiram mostly acted properly but did make mistakes. A previous IDF investigation found that bullets fired from AK-47 rifles, Hamas’s preferred weapon, killed the hostages and not tank shells.

Related Analysis

“IDF releases its first probe into October 7 failures as the Shejaiya raid ends,” by Seth J. Frantzman

“Israeli Forces Move on Central Gaza,” FDD Flash Brief