On October 7, 2023, there was a violent attack by Hamas on the kibbuc Be’eri, resulting in the deaths of many Israeli civilians. An investigation by the Israeli army revealed painful facts about this tragedy that touched both the kibbutz population and the full country. study says the army killed Israeli civilians at the time.
Investigation of the Israeli Army
Two elder representatives of the Israeli Armed Forces, Army spokesperson Daniel Hagari and Major General (rez.) Mickey Edelstein, presented the results of an investigation into the events of October 7, 2023 to the kibbutz Be’eri residents. The gathering began with an apology addressed to the Be’eri community. "We have failed to defend you," said Hagari, stressing that the investigation was conducted by the military and not by the state investigation committee, whose appointments were demanded by the residents.
Tragic Arrangements
As a consequence of the investigation, it was revealed that more than 2 tank missiles were fired in the attack on the kibbutz towards the home where Hamas fighters barricaded themselves with Israeli civilians. 13 hostages were killed as a consequence of this fire. Although it is not known to this day precisely how many of them were killed as a consequence of Israeli fire, witnesses and soldiers present at the scene claim that the commanders knew about the Israelis' presence in the building.
Brigadier General Barak Hiram, who commanded the kibbutz fight, explained in an article published by the “New York Times” that he permitted the usage of tanks to break a deadlock that had lasted for respective hours, even at the expense of civilian casualties. This decision was the consequence of a hard tactical situation involving Israeli soldiers.
Reactions and Conclusions
The investigation focused mainly on mid-level field commanders' decisions, which sparked criticism from the kibbutz residents. They expected elder officers to take work for the failure on the day of the massacre. The residents stressed that the investigation should service as an example for future investigations to avoid akin tragedies in the future.
The results of their own journalistic investigation published by ‘Haarec’ on July 7, 2024, were based on military papers and soldiers' testimony. It was revealed that during the attack a alleged Hannibal operating order was issued, which orders the usage of force against its own soldiers to prevent them from being taken prisoner by their opponent. This order, as stressed by ‘Haarec’, besides threatened civilians.
Impact on the Community and the Law
Families of 13 killed kibbutz Be’eri residents in January 2024 published a letter to the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Hercie Halewi, and respective another representatives of the armed forces. They demanded an investigation into the events of October 7, indicating the likelihood that any civilians were killed by Israeli soldiers. This case was widely described by the media, including the Times of Israel portal.
Summary
Tragic events in Be’eri kibbutz and their consequences uncover complex moral and legal issues related to military action in crisis situations. The investigation and the findings of both the army and independent journalists cast fresh light on these tragic events. The work of the commanders, tactical decisions and their consequences are an crucial subject for future analysis and reflection on safety and protection of civilians during armed conflicts.
Daniel Głogowski
Expert in his field – Publicist, author and social activist. The first articles were published in 1999 for global publishers. For more than 30 years, he has gained his experience through cooperation with the largest editorial offices. In his articles, he seeks to address controversial topics and present first viewpoints that allowed for a deeper knowing of the issues discussed.
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Israeli criminals confess to killing civilians in Be’eri kibbutz on 7 October 2023.
