A report prepared by IDF Major-General Yossi Bachar before Operation Protective Edge stated Israel was not really aware of the scope and magnitude of the threat posed to Israel by the Hamas tunnel network from Gaza to southern Israel. As a result of this report, the Prime Minister and his cabinet were unaware of the magnitude of the threat and the IDF was not properly prepared to address the tunnel warfare.

According to the Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) report, the IDF was not aware of the level of sophistication of the Hamas tunnel network and its lack of preparedness did result in operational failures during the 2014 counter-terrorism military offensive in Gaza.

The report quotes a defense establishment official, who explains the IDF kept the findings of the report quiet. The IDF spokesman released a statement that the findings of the probe have been studied and incorporated in military operations in an appropriate fashion including an increase in the number of soldiers trained for tunnel warfare.

While cabinet ministers expressed shock upon hearing of the report, both Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman insist they were unaware of the report until hearing about it from Galei Tzahal. It is reported that former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon was informed of the findings of the report.

Ya’alon’s office said: “This was an internal military review”, explaining the cabinet is not expected to focus on internal IDF reviews of an operation, adding “An abstract of the findings was presented to the cabinet, but only as a general reference and nothing more.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)