The results of a comprehensive investigation into the intense battle on October 7 in Kibbutz Be’eri were presented to IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi today. The probe, led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Mickey Edelstein, examined all aspects of the fighting that day.

The investigation, which lasted several hours, aimed to provide a detailed account of the events that unfolded during the battle. On October 7, Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram, commander of the IDF’s 99th Division, ordered a tank to fire on the home of Pessi Cohen, where terrorists were holding hostages. The tank fired two shells, resulting in the deaths of 13 of the 14 hostages.

The probe’s findings will be reviewed and finalized by Halevi by Thursday and then presented to members of the kibbutz and families of those who were killed. The IDF will hold a presentation at a Dead Sea hotel, where displaced Be’eri residents have been staying since October 7. Individual representatives will also be sent to the families of those killed, and a website will be set up to make the findings publicly available. The IDF aims to present all battle investigations by the end of August.

The investigation’s outcome may impact the career of Brig. Gen. Barak Hiram, who was slated to become the next commander of the Gaza Division before the war. His promotion is currently on hold pending the results of the probe.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)