A damning independent report published Monday, citing soldiers and security officials, alleged that “warning lights” that went unheeded in the run-up to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack were once again flashing, but that individuals in the security establishment were afraid to speak up about the country’s unpreparedness.
The document, which runs dozens of pages, was produced by the October Council, a group harshly critical of the government comprising hundreds of bereaved families, attack survivors, and former hostages. It cites testimonies from troops as well as conversations with security personnel from Israeli communities along the Gaza border.
“A disaster doesn’t begin the moment the enemy crosses the border. It begins when the warning signs are before our eyes, but the system doesn’t connect the dots,” said the report, titled “Failure 2026.”
Presenting its findings to the press on Monday, the council listed a series of “warning lights” reminiscent of the lead-up to the Hamas invasion.
They were: the terror group’s remaining arsenal; warnings from surveillance soldiers of unusual behavior; operatives crossing the ceasefire line to test the army’s response; a strain on reservists and other forces; the suppression of dissent within the security forces; and the absence of an independent body with the authority to comprehensively investigate the failures surrounding the attack three years ago.
