IDF's report on Nova massacre lays bare 'catastrophic failures'
A year and a half after the massacre, IDF investigators handed the report to the grieving families.
An Israeli military report released Thursday reveals the chilling details of the massacre that took place during the Nova festival on October 7, highlighting a series of operational and communication failures that led to one of the worst tragedies in Israel's history.
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Catastrophic flaws in coordination
The main conclusions of the report are staggering. The IDF acknowledges a crushing failure in the coordination between the different security services. The festival had been approved by all the concerned levels, including the army and the police, without direct consultation of the commanders on the ground. A critical point: no IDF liaison officer was present in the advanced command post, making fast and effective communication impossible.
The unexpected arrival of the terrorists
According to the report, a group of 100 terrorists from the Nukhba unit arrived at the location due to a navigation error, veering off their initial route. This "mistake" was to prove deadly for hundreds of festival attendees.
A terrifying timeline
The massacre unfolded in several stages:
7:00: Start of the first shots
8:30: The Nokhba group begins to surround the site.
9:15 am: Terrorists enter the festival perimeter
10:10: Departure of the first terrorists
11:30: Arrival of Israeli forces at the location
The human toll
The toll is dreadful:
- 378 civilians and security forces members murdered
- 44 people kidnapped
- 16 police officers, 16 soldiers and 2 Shin Bet agents killed
Fatal errors of judgment
The headquarters in the Gaza region seriously underestimated the situation, estimating that 90% of participants had managed to escape without being injured. This erroneous assessment led to not immediately sending reinforcements, leaving the participants to fend for themselves against the terrorists.
The IDF report represents a painful exercise in transparency, acknowledging the systemic failures that allowed such a massacre. It highlights the need for a complete overhaul of communication and emergency response protocols.
A permanent memorial at the Reim site now commemorates this tragic day, a constant reminder of the terrible price paid that day.