Israeli ‘arrogance’ played significant role in major intelligence failure on October 7

It was Israel’s belief in its “own superiority” that led to the intelligence failing that resulted in the devastating October 7 attacks, officials have told The National.

Junior intelligence officers reported that Hamas was planning a significant attack but due to a “lack of imagination” and “arrogance”, they were dismissed by senior commanders.

Officials have suggested sexism may have played a role, with junior female operators ignored. The lapses have had a major effect on the Middle East, with a regional conflict escalation as well as the loss of more than 1,200 lives on October 7 followed by more than 29,700 Palestinians being killed in the war in Gaza.

An internal investigation into the intelligence failure will begin next month.

It was most apparent on a visit by The National to the Kfar Aza kibbutz, where 63 of 900 residents were killed on the morning of October 7.

The bullet-riddled rooms and torn mattresses where couples were shot in their beds were a reminder of the depth of the oversight that cost so many lives. “We had intelligence that this is what Hamas are planning,” said Sarit Zehavi, a former Israeli intelligence lieutenant-colonel.

“But we couldn’t imagine that this was what they were planning and that’s why we looked for different explanations, rather than what we saw in front of our eyes.”

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert agreed conceit had played a significant part in the thinking that Hamas was incapable of such an attack.

“We were obsessed with our own belief of our own superiority, then we failed to see what was boiling up in