Be’eri probe: Israeli army failed to protect kibbutz during Hamas attack

In its first investigation into the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel, the Israeli army released the findings on the failures that have led to the killing of 101 civilians and 31 security personnel in the kibbutz of Be'eri.

Some of the findings show that the army failed to protect the kibbutz as it was not prepared for an "extensive penetration" of attackers and there were not enough forces in the area to be sent to the kibbutz.

Security officials did not provide adequate warnings of the attack in the early hour, and the army failed to paint a clear picture of what was happening to the community despite receiving information from a local security team since the early morning.

Due to a lack of coordination, a large number of soldiers gathered outside the kibbutz instead of entering the area to fight, while some units entered the kibbutz and then withdrew.

In the first seven hours of the attack, only 13 Israeli troops and 13 members of the kibbutz’s local security team and other armed civilians were fighting off Hamas's invasion.