November 1, 2026
Herzi Halevi: We thought Hamas did not want a war
צילום: דובר צה"ל
Herzi Halevi was the IDF commander on October 7.
Today he spoke at a conference in New York.
He said that the army and the government thought Hamas did not want a war.
Therefore, Israel initially focused on the threat from Iran and Hezbollah.
Halevi said that Israel could have prevented the failure.
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He also said that no one in the security establishment betrayed or assisted Hamas. He called for an investigation into what happened and to ask hard questions.
According to Halevi, the IDF's operations in Gaza helped return hostages. But he admitted that the army also made mistakes. He said that IDF bombs killed hostages. The army did not know they were there.
Halevi said that Israel sent a warning to Hezbollah on the morning of October 7. Israel clarified that if the organization attacks, it will strike forcefully in Lebanon.