‘We Acted Arrogantly’: Israel Presents Some Findings of Its Oct. 7 Investigations 

The destroyed contents of a dishwasher and household goods are seen at a home at Kibbutz Nir Oz following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. (Reuters)
The destroyed contents of a dishwasher and household goods are seen at a home at Kibbutz Nir Oz following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. (Reuters)
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‘We Acted Arrogantly’: Israel Presents Some Findings of Its Oct. 7 Investigations 

The destroyed contents of a dishwasher and household goods are seen at a home at Kibbutz Nir Oz following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. (Reuters)
The destroyed contents of a dishwasher and household goods are seen at a home at Kibbutz Nir Oz following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. (Reuters)

The Israeli army started presenting part of the findings of its investigation into the Hamas attack on the Nahal Oz military outpost on October 7, 2023.

The probe concluded that the Nahal Oz base has become a clear symbol of the army’s “neglect and security failure” on that day.

The delayed military response and security lapses led to the killing of 53 Israeli soldiers and the capture of 10 others from the Nahal Oz outpost, situated less than one kilometer from the Gaza border, the investigations showed.

The official findings of the probe are to be presented to relevant families and then made available to the public.

They mainly revealed that prior to the attack, soldiers at the Nahal Oz outpost say their warnings about suspicious Hamas activity were repeatedly ignored.

‘We acted arrogantly’

According to the investigation, Hamas collected accurate intelligence data about Nahal Oz and the Yiftach military base from afar for years prior to launching the deadly assault and was intimately familiar with the layout of the bases and their vulnerabilities.

The probe showed that the Israeli political leadership had ignored the military threats prior to the attack.

Speaking to a forum of senior officers, Brig. Gen. Yossi Sariel, head of the military intelligence Unit 8200 said: “We, and I above all others, did not do our duty, did not learn the lesson and acted arrogantly.”

The investigations showed that Hamas had detailed knowledge of the layout of the Nahal Oz base, including the locations of various rooms, guard positions, and the areas with lighter security.

Timing of the attack

According to the probe, Hamas assumed that the timing of the attack should be on a religious holiday or weekend, because fewer forces remain on the base at those times.

The night before the attack, at 6:00 pm, Hamas gave its fighters instructions on how to attack the base, and the squad commanders began preparations.

Warning signs had emerged on that night, but were ignored by the military leaderships. Senior officers alerted to the unusual movement concluded that there was no need to send troops down to the border.

The investigations found that at the time of the assault, only one guard was stationed at the front gate.

Although there were double the number of Israeli soldiers than Hamas gunmen, they lacked firepower and weapons.

Also, had troops been instructed to take up their positions, “the battle picture would have looked different,” the report said.

The probe showed that Hamas was able to easily kill large groups of Israeli soldiers who had gathered in bomb shelters, according to their plan.

Timeline

At 6:30 am, the attack began. Around 65 Hamas fighters stormed the base, located 800 meters from the border with Gaza. There were 162 soldiers stationed at the base, 90 of whom were armed, with 81 combat soldiers.

At 6:45 am, the deputy battalion commander was wounded shortly after the attack started, and the first wave of Hamas fighters infiltrated the post 20 minutes later.

At 7:30 am, Israeli soldiers were unable to repel the attackers. Ten minutes later, an Israeli army armored personnel carrier arrived with a company commander, marking the first military use of vehicles during the attack.

At 7:50 am, the Israeli forces were preparing for a counterattack, but by 8:20 am, part of the force was ambushed and killed, disrupting the counteroffensive.

At 8:53 am, Hamas fighters managed to destroy an Israeli tank that was stationed at the site.

At 9:00 am, a second wave of approximately 50 Hamas fighters arrived at the site.

At 10:00 am, a third wave of 100 more fighters entered the base.

At noon, the operations room was burned.

At 2:00 pm, the rescue forces arrive to evacuate the wounded.

At 8:00 pm, the base was completely cleared of Israeli forces.



Clashes Erupt between Local Factions, Armed Tribal Groups in Syria’s Suwayda

Scenes of normal life in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya (SANA)
Scenes of normal life in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya (SANA)
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Clashes Erupt between Local Factions, Armed Tribal Groups in Syria’s Suwayda

Scenes of normal life in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya (SANA)
Scenes of normal life in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya (SANA)

Intense clashes erupted in southern Syria between local factions in Suwayda province and armed tribal groups from the surrounding countryside, stoking fears of renewed sectarian violence between communities in Suwayda and neighboring Daraa.

The fighting broke out in the western countryside of Suwayda, just a day after Druze religious leaders and community elders announced the start of an agreement intended to bring stability to the area. Conflicting reports have emerged about the reasons behind the escalation.

Local Telegram channels reported what they called a “military escalation” as armed Bedouin groups, described as “outlaws,” were accused of attempting to break a siege around Bedouin-inhabited villages in the western countryside. Mortar exchanges and machine gun fire were reported between the two sides.

In particular, the village of Al-Dara, home to Bedouin tribes, was reportedly shelled from the nearby town of Al-Thaala. In response, tribal fighters launched a counteroffensive, leading to clashes that involved the use of heavy weaponry.

The independent news outlet Suwayda 24 reported that Al-Thaala itself came under attack from unknown groups firing mortars and machine guns from the western outskirts of the town. The incident triggered a gun battle between local defenders and the attackers.

Rumors further fueled tensions, with some claiming that local factions attempted to destroy a mosque and targeted civilian neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Al-Rasid, another outlet covering Suwayda, noted a sharp increase in provocative videos and audio messages alleging that Suwayda factions were besieging tribal areas and setting fire to mosques.

Officials have denied these claims. Religious leaders reaffirmed that mosques remained protected by local factions. Despite this, armed groups from eastern Daraa, reportedly not locals, began shelling Suwayda villages.

Sources in Daraa told Suwayda 24 that these groups, arriving on motorcycles and in vehicles equipped with mortars and heavy weapons, have been trying to provoke unrest for days. Videos and messages circulated on WhatsApp were allegedly aimed at inciting local communities.

The clashes have already had humanitarian consequences. Mortar attacks on villages including Haran, Al-Thaala, Rasas, and Ara resulted in the death of one civilian and injuries to eight others. Dozens of families, particularly women and children, have fled to safer areas.

Local sources say the violence is a deliberate attempt to sow discord between the Druze and tribal communities. They urged residents of both Suwayda and Daraa to resist incitement and work together to de-escalate the situation.

Meanwhile, Syria’s Interior Ministry announced the release of 22 detainees from the towns of Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya in Damascus Countryside, stating they were not involved in bloodshed during recent unrest.

Separately, the Israeli military announced it had raided and destroyed a former Syrian regime command post on Mount Hermon. Israeli forces reportedly uncovered weapons caches and military infrastructure during the operation and seized the materials.