IDF ‘failed massively’ on 7 October, says senior commander

The commander of the Israeli army’s 98th Division said yesterday that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) “failed massively” to prevent the cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, on 7 October last year.

“We bow our heads over our resounding failure on 7 October 7,” said Brigadier General Dan Goldfus. He also called on the country’s political leadership to share the responsibility, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has notably avoided doing, unlike the defence minister and a number of senior army officers.

“You [the people of Israel] need to be worthy of the soldiers who lost their lives,” added Goldfus. “You need to be worthy of the reservists who don’t care what [political] side they are on, and fought and fight alongside each other. Make sure that everyone takes part, you must.” The latter was a reference to the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Israeli Jews from military service in Israel.

An IDF spokesman said that the general’s comments were not approved by his commanders and he will be summoned to provide clarification. According to Israeli Army Radio, Netanyahu was updated by his military secretary, Major General Avi Gil, about Goldfus’s remarks ahead of him making his statement at 7pm.

Israel’s Channel 12 quoted the Interior Minister as saying, “I accept the statements of the commander of the 98th Division seriously, and we must confront the divisions.”

Netanyahu’s political opponents have raised a huge balloon on a public street bearing his image along with a banner that says “You are responsible… You are the accused for the events of October 7th”.

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