Amid a heated and escalating debate in Israel regarding the occupation government’s decision to form a political inquiry committee into the events of October 7, a new Hebrew book authored by an officer asserts that wounds cannot be healed and damage repaired without an official inquiry committee.
It should be noted that the Israeli parliament last night approved a bill to appoint a “national commission of inquiry” into the events of October 7, which was boycotted by the opposition, who consider it an attempt to obscure the truth instead of revealing it.
Simultaneously, in a new book entitled “October 7th : A View from the Battlefield,” Captain Ido Yitzhaki, a company commander in the Golani Brigade who participated in the battle with Hamas’ elite forces inside the Kissufim settlement in the Gaza envelope on October 7th, says that he published the book to document the actions of his fallen soldiers, to document the events and the loss, and as a tour into the depths of his own soul.
Regarding what happened that day, he adds: “At 5:30 a.m. on October 7, I participated in an assessment meeting about the security situation in the border area with Gaza,” noting that his company was ready to fight, but did not expect an exceptional event, and that the battle against the elite soldiers was very difficult.
He added: “When the attack began, I rushed to move my company to Kibbutz Kissufim in the Gaza envelope area, and we participated in attempts to repel the attacking Hamas forces outside and inside the settlement.”
He reveals that on that day 45 Israelis were killed, including 28 soldiers.
He says his unit did everything it could, but failed in its mission against 400 members of the “elite” unit.
He adds: “I was the commander of the forces in Kissufim, and I bear full responsibility. The mission was ultimately clear, black and white. When Hamas soldiers succeeded in breaching the settlement, it meant we hadn't accomplished the mission, and that's why my heart always remains there. One can philosophize and question whether we had the necessary combat equipment, sufficient numbers of soldiers, and whether we had information about the situation, but ultimately, we failed to carry out the mission. However, I also say that Hamas failed to accomplish its planned mission. I said that the unit was ready, but the attack caught the state by surprise and found it unprepared.”
Yitzhaki reveals that his unit was prepared for a maximum two-axis invasion, but was surprised by the number of attackers, their fighting methods, and the number of gaps.
He adds: “I realized that we were facing an attack that we could not withstand, so I ordered the commander of the only tank we had to fire and destroy the enemy from the west. During our attempts to slow the advance of Hamas forces, and an hour into the attack, at 7:30 in the morning, I announced over the radio that we were at war. After all, I am a captain, not a general, and I am not privy to the whole picture. We waged a battle that lasted five days inside the Kissufim settlement until we succeeded in taking control of it.”
Yitzhaki says that the events of October 7th accompany him to this day, moment by moment, and he expects them to stay with him until his last day, noting that there are moments when he tries to escape from reality in search of peace of mind, but he has learned how to heal himself.
He added: “I went to a psychologist in order to cope with the loss, the pain, the guilt and responsibility, and to learn how to talk about it.”
Yitzhaki points out that he belongs to a family from Tel Aviv whose members served in the Golani Brigade. His grandfather was killed in Sinai during the 1967 war, while his uncle was killed in Mount Hermon during the 1973 war.
He points to the phenomenon of militarism among Israelis, saying: “I grew up with this military heritage, and I decided to enlist in the army during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. We have no other choice; we don't live in another country. Therefore, we must remain kind to one another and establish an official commission of inquiry, otherwise we will not be able to correct the flaws that caused this disaster. We must look the truth in the eye. This is painful, but it is our first moral duty as leaders. I am not engaging in political debates, nor am I discussing strategic matters; rather, I am recounting a difficult experience that reopens old wounds. We all fought, and I feel a sense of pride, but we must examine the failures in our missions in order to correct what needs correcting.”
