Israeli probe finds tactical errors, friendly fire in deadly Kissufim battle

Tel Aviv [Israel], May 22 (ANI/TPS): An Israeli military investigation into Hamas' October 7 attack on Kibbutz Kissufim and the nearby Kissufim army base found glaring failures in the Israel Defense Forces' preparedness.
The report, released on Thursday, found that soldiers, trained primarily for combat in Gaza's open areas, were ill-prepared for fighting within a civilian setting.
Forty-five people -- mostly soldiers, but several civilians and Thai workers were killed during an assault by about 150 terrorists from two of Hamas's elite Nukhba Force battalions.
The report highlighted how the absence of specialized training and clear operational protocols for urban warfare led to serious tactical errors, including "two-sided shooting" incidents, where IDF troops fired on each other and at fellow civilians. In one case, Tom Godo, a 52-year-old civilian, was killed after soldiers heard Arabic nearby and opened fire without confirming the source -- only later realizing it came from a neighboring Israeli home.
Despite initial successful resistance by the IDF's 51st Battalion at the Kissufim base, the investigation details how the lack of proper division of forces and poor coordination hampered the defense efforts. The report notes that IDF reinforcements, including the Egoz unit and the 450th Battalion, arrived hours after the initial attack but faced repeated ambushes by Hamas terrorists who had entrenched themselves in the kibbutz.
Fighting continued for days, with daily skirmishes recorded as late as October 12, exposing that the area was never fully cleared on the first day.
The report also criticized the Israeli Air Force's limited role during the battle, stating its support was insufficient to halt the attackers due lack of coordination with forces on the ground. The probe also noted systemic weaknesses, such as poor security measures around the kibbutz and base, which contributed to the high casualty count. Seventy Israelis were wounded in the battles, and one, Shlomo Mansour, was kidnapped and later killed in Gaza.
The probe also found that despite the operational failures and friendly-fire incidents, no disciplinary actions were taken against those responsible. The report called for improved rules of engagement and clearer communication protocols.
"The community's resilience, the courage of the defenders, and the willingness to fight -- are what saved the kibbutz from complete destruction. Not the state," a kibbutz statement said in response to the report's release.
Thursday's report is the latest in a series of army probes -- summaries of which have been released in recent weeks -- some 5,000 terrorists from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad managed to attack numerous Israeli communities and overrun the army's border positions. The army's chain of command broke amid the chaos and soldiers were outnumbered.
They also found that the army misunderstood Hamas's intentions for years, and as October 7 approached, intelligence about the looming attack was misinterpreted. The military was also more focused on threats from Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The IDF probes only deal with issues of operations, intelligence and command, not decisions made by the political echelon.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted calls for an inquiry, saying he opposes a "politically biased" probe. Critics accuse Netanyahu of delaying the inquiry and trying to water down its mandate.
State commissions of inquiry have broad authority to summon witnesses and collect evidence and are headed by a senior Supreme Court justice. They may include personal recommendations about individuals under investigation, though the government is not bound to act on them.
The last state commission of inquiry, which investigated Israel's worst civilian disaster -- a stampede that killed 45 people at a holy site on Mount Meron -- held Netanyahu personally responsible for the tragedy in a report released in 2024.
At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 59 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead. (ANI/TPS)