Highlights: Five months after October 7, the Israeli security failure. Israel, which presents itself as the home of the Jewish people, has failed to protect its population. Its army, its formidable intelligence services, saw nothing coming. A major security failure, from which the country is trying to learn lessons. Young soldiers posted on the border with Gaza alerted their superiors for months. But she chose to ignore them. “The fact that these alerts were not heard really makes me angry. And all because of the incompetence of the IDF and the government,” says one soldier.

Five months ago, on October 7, Hamas launched a deadly attack against Israel, killing nearly 1,200 men, women and children. The country is in shock. Israel, which presents itself…

Testimony

Five months after October 7, the Israeli security failure

Five months ago, on October 7, Hamas launched a deadly attack against Israel, killing nearly 1,200 men, women and children.

The country is in shock.

Israel, which presents itself as the home of the Jewish people, has failed to protect its population.

Its army, its formidable intelligence services, saw nothing coming.

A major security failure, from which the country is trying to learn lessons.

Especially since young soldiers posted on the border with Gaza alerted their superiors for months.

But she chose to ignore them.

An Israeli soldier walks near kibbutz Beeri, October 12, 2023, a few days after Hamas' assault on a music festival on October 7, 2023. © AFP - ARIS MESSINIS

By: RFI Follow

With our correspondent in Jerusalem,

Sami Boukhelifa

“

I did my military service in September 2020

,” remembers Talia, who was part of the lookout unit, the “

Tatzpitanit

”.

“

I’m 21 years old and I’m Franco-Israeli

,” she adds, stationed in towers at the country’s borders.

Eyes glued to surveillance screens, the mission is necessary, but thankless.

“

In general, little importance is given to the words of the lookout soldiers.
Because we are young and we are 18 years old.
We are at the bottom of the army hierarchy

,” she regrets.

Unusual movements reported at the border

The slightest suspicious event observed at the border must be reported to the officers.

“

When we report an incident or something abnormal to high-ranking commanders, they contact the intelligence services directly, either the Shin Bet (domestic intelligence, editor's note), or the Mossad (intelligence exterior, Editor’s note).
But if what we say is not consistent with what the Shin Bet says, then they don't give us any importance

,” laments Talia.

In fact, a week after the events, the Israeli government's National Security Advisor

acknowledged “errors” by the intelligence services

ahead of the bloody attacks of October 7.

Hours before Hamas' October 7 attack, Israeli security forces had enough warning signs to prepare – at least partially – for the possibility that terrorists would seek to infiltrate from Gaza.

But no one in the IDF notified the Nova festival organizershttps://t.co/mfiBDRBzpX

— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) December 5, 2023

According to the

Israeli daily

Haaretz

, before October 7, for months, Tatzpitanit

reported

unusual movements on the border with Gaza.

“

The fact that these alerts were not heard really makes me angry.
And all because of the incompetence of the IDF and the government.
It's still crazy, because the higher-ups should have understood with the alerts and seen how serious it was.
And so do what is necessary.
It is not normal that this was not taken into account, and that there were such flaws, which gave rise to such a massacre and such a catastrophe

,” she concludes.

Five months after October 7, the Israeli security failure

Five months after October 7, the Israeli security failure

Unusual movements reported at the border

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