Overview
- The IDF probe, released Monday and finalized by former chief of staff Herzi Halevi, concludes the army failed to protect Kibbutz Holit during the Oct. 7 assault.
- The attack began at 6:29 a.m. with heavy rocket fire as a large Hamas force breached Holit's fence within minutes, with reports ranging from about 60 to roughly 100 gunmen.
- Investigators cite damage to the command structure, the loss of key commanders, a poor situational picture, and erroneous orders that included evacuations under threat.
- The probe documents 13 civilians murdered, six people abducted to Gaza including four Israelis and two foreign workers, three residents briefly kidnapped and released, and three security personnel killed.
- Reinforcements entered only in the afternoon around 2 p.m., fought house to house, and restored control as residents mounted their own defense led by security chief Avi Korin, who was killed in combat, and the kibbutz now urges a full state commission of inquiry.