The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged on Thursday that it had experienced one of its “greatest failures” in preventing Hamas’s October 7 assault, following the release of an internal military investigation, France 24 reported.

The surprise attack left hundreds dead, with many civilians taken hostage and led to an all-out war in Gaza. According to a senior military official, the attack came after Israel’s misjudgment of Hamas’s military capabilities.

The internal investigation confirmed that the IDF had long “underestimated Hamas’s power,” which contributed to the deadly assault that killed hundreds of Israelis and sparked a war that has since claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives.

A senior official, speaking anonymously in accordance with military protocol stated, “October 7 was a complete failure. The IDF failed to protect Israeli civilians.”

The military’s inquiry revealed that the IDF was “overconfident” in its assessment of Hamas, despite warning signs that the group was preparing an attack. The report summarised that the Gaza Division was overwhelmed in the early hours of the attack, with Hamas militants carrying out massacres in communities and on nearby roads.

In total, the Hamas attack left 1,218 Israelis dead, including civilians and hostages. Among the 251 hostages taken, 58 are still being held in Gaza. The Israeli retaliatory strikes have claimed the lives of at least 48,365 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

The investigation, which took over 15 months to complete, highlights four main issues: the IDF’s military perceptions before October 7, intelligence failures, events leading up to the attack, and the army’s response.

The report also noted that the attack came in three waves, with approximately 5,000 militants infiltrating Israeli territory.

The elite Hamas unit, known as Nukhba, led the first wave, taking out communication and command centres, which threw the Israeli military into chaos during the crucial first hours of the attack.

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In response to the findings, IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi took full responsibility for the failure, as did Major General Yaron Finkelman, head of the army’s southern command, who resigned in the wake of the attack. Major General Aharon Haliva, the military intelligence chief, stepped down in August.