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Former Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi admitted in a newly revealed recording that Hamas successfully deceived Israel ahead of its deadly October 7 attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the hardest-hit communities in the assault.
"I have no choice but to acknowledge Hamas for the deception they pulled on us," Halevi said last week in a closed-door meeting with Nir Oz residents, according to recordings published by Army Radio on Sunday. "Got to give it to them—they tricked us completely."
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2ניר עוזניר עוז
(Photo: Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Halevi, who was Israel Defense Forces chief of staff at the time of the attack, described how Hamas misled Israeli intelligence in the days before the assault.
"They succeeded in deceiving us with the disturbances before [October 7], their efforts to calm things down, and their focus on humanitarian issues," he said. "They used that to put us to sleep and prepare their attack—and their deception worked."
His remarks came during a presentation of the military’s internal investigation into the attack, which was also attended by former Southern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman. The findings detailed Israel’s failure to anticipate and respond to the Hamas-led onslaught, which left Nir Oz devastated. One in four residents of the kibbutz was either killed or taken hostage.
Delayed military response
Halevi acknowledged the scale of the military’s failure, revealing that security forces did not enter the kibbutz until long after the attack had ended.
"The first soldier arrived in Nir Oz only after the last terrorist left," he said. "This is a terrible, horrifying statement, and we repeat it so that everyone in the IDF will remember it."
2ניר עוזניר עוז
(Photo: Amir Levy/Getty Images)
According to the findings, it took 40 minutes after the last Hamas attackers withdrew from Nir Oz before any security personnel entered the area. The first responders were not IDF soldiers but Border Police undercover officers who arrived after an emergency call to the police. By then, the attackers had rampaged through the kibbutz for seven hours.
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"There was no battle, no engagement in Nir Oz," Halevi said. "This was the failure within the failure of October 7."
Apologies and accountability
The investigation, led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Eran Niv, compiled thousands of testimonies, recordings, and photographs over eight months. The findings were presented to survivors—including former hostages—at a closed-door session, where phones were collected at the entrance to prevent leaks and trauma counselors were available for support.
Niv opened the briefing with an apology. Residents later said the findings did not reveal much new information, but they described the military officials as "fully transparent" about their failures.
"They apologized over and over again," one resident said. "They told us outright: ‘We failed, we failed, we failed.’"
Halevi emphasized the need for Israel to prioritize the recovery of affected communities. "The state must invest significant resources to strengthen the people first, and then the places," he said. "And I tell you this: I am one of you."