Israeli military abandoned kibbutz for hours during Hamas' attack Oct. 7, IDF inquiry finds
NBCJUL 1 2024
Israeli Military, Shin Bet Release Reports on Oct. 7 Failures
Above: Members of Hamas' military wing during the handover of the bodies of the Bibas family and Oded Lifshitz to the Red Cross in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on Feb. 20, 2025. Image copyright: Ali Jadallah/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Netanyahu and the right-wing extremists in his government are the primary reason that Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack. Through purposefully provoking Palestinian anger, dividing Israel with his judicial reforms, and facilitating Qatari funds for Hamas, Netanyahu created a perfect storm that pushed the terror group into believing that Israel was weak and unprepared for an attack.
Right narrative
Though Netanyahu obviously made a mistake by not seeing just how atrocious Hamas could be, the military and security apparatus at large are primarily to blame for Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre. Indeed, the fact that the military is frantically trying to avoid an investigation indicates that it is aware of its responsibility for Oct. 7. The left is trying to scapegoat Netanyahu for the military's failures.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Regardless of the bickering among Israel's political elite regarding security failures, one must remember that none of this began on Oct. 7. Israel was founded at the expense of the Palestinian people, and now, since Oct. 7, this tendency has moved toward genocide. Israeli forces killed hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank in the months leading up to Oct. 7, yet this is systematically ignored in mainstream discourse. The only way to end this conflict is to end the occupation.