Former Israeli army chief calls the Oct 7 attack a preventable failure

"October 7 was a preventable failure," Herzi Halevi said on Sunday, speaking publicly for the first time since he left the post of Israel Defense Forces chief of staff in March 2025.

— Herzi Halevi, former IDF chief of staff

Halevi rejected the idea of a betrayal from within the political or defence establishment, saying that after three years not a single collaborator has been found.

The military's priorities before Oct 7

1. 1 Iran
2. 2 Hezbollah
3. 3 Hamas

Before the attack, the military ranked Iran first, Hezbollah second and Hamas third among its priorities, because it did not know what Hamas was planning, Halevi said.

What's next

Speaking at a conference in New York, Halevi called for a state commission of inquiry into the security failures, saying it is the only way to prevent similar lapses.