Israeli defense minister calls Oct. 7 attack army’s ‘biggest failure’

JERUSALEM

Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday called the Oct. 7 Hamas attack the "biggest failure" in the history of the Israeli army.

“This forum has experienced both the greatest failure and the most important achievements in IDF (Israeli army) and defense establishment history this year,” Gallant said at a session of the army’s General Staff Forum.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Palestinian resistance group Hamas launched a cross-border attack into Israel during which around 1,200 people were killed and scores were held captive.

The Israeli army has since launched a brutal military offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 41,600 people, mostly women and children, and injuring over 96,400 others.

The conflict has spread to Lebanon, with the Israeli army launching massive airstrikes against what it calls Hezbollah targets, killing more than 1,057 people and injuring over 2,950 others since Sept. 23, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Several Hezbollah commanders have been killed in the assault, including its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

“I hope we learn from this and maintain our mission focus, initiative, determination, and successes,” Gallant said.

The Israeli army said early Tuesday that it had launched “limited and targeted” ground operations in southern Lebanon.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar