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Shin Bet acknowledges failure in preventing October 7th Hamas attack
On March 5, 2025, the Israeli internal security service Shin Bet admitted its failure to prevent the October 7th, 2023 attack by Hamas. In a public statement, Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar acknowledged the agency's inability to thwart the deadly assault, which resulted in over 1,200 Israeli casualties.
The agency’s internal investigation highlighted two primary areas of failure: the inability to recognize the immediate threat posed by Hamas and the failure to respond effectively to the attack's immediate warning signs. The report clarified that although Shin Bet had a thorough understanding of the threat from Hamas, it did not consider the group’s planned "Jericho Wall" raid as an imminent risk. Additionally, there were misjudgments about the strength of Gaza's security barrier and the readiness of Israeli military forces during the critical hours leading up to the attack.
The investigation also noted that Israeli moderation policies, particularly Qatar’s financial support for Hamas’s military wing, allowed the group to build a formidable military arsenal. Furthermore, the failure to translate intelligence reports into actionable military directives was a major factor in the attack's success.
In a broader context, the Shin Bet's report came shortly after a similar admission by the Israeli military, which also acknowledged its failure to prevent the attack and the overconfidence that led to underestimating Hamas’s capabilities. The October 7th attack led to 1,218 Israeli deaths, while Israel’s retaliation in Gaza resulted in at least 48,405 Palestinian deaths. The ceasefire agreement reached in January 2025 brought limited relief, with 33 Israeli hostages released in exchange for almost 1,800 Palestinian detainees.
