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Investigation reveals IDF failed to protect Kfar Aza residents

The military didn’t arrive at the kibbutz until nearly two hours after the invasion, during which time the local security squad displayed remarkable heroism in its defense against the terrorists.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

An investigation into Hamas’s invasion of Kfar Aza on October 7th revealed that the IDF failed to protect the kibbutz’s residents, while the local security squad, which suffered heavy losses, fought valiantly.

On October 7, 2023, at around 6:30 a.m., 250 terrorists from the Gaza City Brigade, armed with explosives and weapons, invaded Kfar Aza. They began killing residents, looting property, and taking hostages.

Although 100 terrorists were neutralized inside the kibbutz and 50 just outside, Hamas still caused significant damage to the kibbutz, which will require extensive reconstruction.

The military did not arrive at the kibbutz until nearly two hours after the invasion, during which time the local security squad displayed remarkable heroism in its defense against the attackers.

The security squad, which also fought terrorists outside the kibbutz, suffered heavy losses.

Among the Kfar Aza residents, 62 were murdered and 19 were kidnapped. Two of the hostages were accidentally killed by friendly fire, and two remain in Gaza.

The investigation found that the military was unprepared for the attack and had no plans for dealing with a Hamas invasion.

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Not only did the military arrive late to the kibbutz, but they were also poorly equipped and lacked coordinated intelligence and a plan, leading to chaos.

Additionally, the evacuation of residents was poorly organized and not executed safely.

Although several airstrikes were conducted against Hamas terrorists, they had little to no effect.

The investigation was carried out by the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Oded Ziman, and included interviews with kibbutz residents and members of the security squad.

An internal IDF probe described Hamas’s capture of the Nahal Oz base as “the biggest failure” of October 7th.

The investigation, shared with local media on Monday night, revealed that Nahal Oz, located just half a mile from the Gaza border, was meant to be a forward base but was instead treated as a rear outpost due to financial constraints. It was overrun in less than two hours.