IDF to launch comprehensive probes into Gaza ground operations, broader war |
The Israel Defense Forces is preparing to launch a broad series of investigations into its ground-based military operations during the two-year war against Hamas in Gaza, following the completion of probes into the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, onslaught.
In the wake of a senior command conference convened by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Monday, the military is taking significant steps toward a systemic review of its operations, The Times of Israel has learned.
The IDF has already conducted initial probes into the events of October 7, and the senior command conference has set the stage for a comprehensive investigation into the broader war, which will include inquiries into operational failures, intelligence shortcomings and strategic decisions.
Specific points of investigation, according to the Ynet news site, will include why no plan was prepared for a full conquest of the Gaza Strip, whether beginning the ground maneuvers in the north was the correct decision, the impact of the presence of hostages on combat operations, and why several key battles dragged on as long as they did.
Israel sent ground troops into northern Gaza in late October 2023, following weeks of airstrikes, and gradually swept southward, conquering Rafah on the Strip’s southern border in May 2024. It continued fighting, sending forces back north several times, until a ceasefire in early October 2025.
The Gaza debriefings will reportedly be divided into six major operational phases, including the initial push into northern Gaza and Gaza City, the capture of Khan Younis, the........