The State Comptroller’s report on Operation Protective Edge, the IDF counter-terrorism offensive in Gaza in the summer of 2014 was released on Wednesday, 3 Adar 5777. The report cited failures due to lacking intelligence and the actions of the Security Cabinet, which suffered from internal strife.

In addition, the State Comptroller speaks of operational and technical failures, specifically regarding the Hamas tunnel network. Former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Ganz was among those who spoke out this week ahead of the release of the report, citing military intelligence was exemplary, citing his willingness to go to war again if necessary under the same realities.

The report addresses the events leading up the war, the abduction and murders of the three Gush Etzion Kedoshim HY”D; Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Yifrach. That occurred in June 2014, leading to Operation Protective Edge.

The report is based on thousands of documents, citing the IDF only destroyed a half of Hamas’ terror tunnel network, leaving the remainder usable, albeit some being damaged. Hence, the State Comptroller feels the IDF failed to complete its mission, a conclusion that was reached by a number of right-wing cabinet ministers as well, who were calling for the eradication of Hamas.

During the operation, Moshe Ya’alon was Defense Minister and Ganz Chief of Staff. The State Comptroller explains the decision to bomb the tunnels from the air in the hope of destroying them was erroneous, and while they wished to spare additional loss of life among ground forces, the aerial bombardment failed to accomplish its mission.

State Comptroller Justice Yosef Shapira’s report gives backing to accusation made during the operation by Minister Naftali Bennet, who always maintained the Security Cabinet, which he was a member of, was not properly briefed. Bennet came under fire during the operation for airing dirty laundry in the media, accusing Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ya’alon of running the war without consulting with the other members of the Security Cabinet forum.

The report continues by citing additional failures by the two senior ministers, as well as the failure in addressing the severity of the Hamas tunnel threat.

In the civilian arena, Shapira explains that residents of southern areas lost their sense of security prior to the operation as many IDF operations were shut and funds used to train civilian first response team and equip them stopped flowing, leaving them in a difficult situation.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)