Headline

Israeli Army Admits Failure On Oct 7, Says It Underestimated Hamas

Published

9 months ago

February 28, 2025

An internal Israeli army investigation into Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack released on Thursday acknowledged the military’s “complete failure” to prevent the deadly assault, saying that for years it had underestimated the group’s capabilities.

The attack, which left hundreds of Israelis dead, sparked a devastating war in Gaza, which killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

“October 7 was a complete failure, the IDF (military) failed in fulfilling its mission to protect Israeli civilians,” a senior Israeli military official said as he briefed reporters about the inquiry’s findings.

“Too many civilians died that day asking themselves in their hearts or out loud, where was the IDF,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with military protocols.

In a summary of the report shared with journalists, the military said: “The Israel Defense Forces failed to protect Israeli citizens. The Gaza Division was overrun in the early hours of the war, as terrorists took control and carried out massacres in the communities and roads in the area.”

The military official explained that the army was “overconfident” and had miscalculated Hamas’s military capabilities ahead of the attack.

The inquiry, which includes 77 separate investigations into what transpired in communities, army bases and multiple confrontation points around the Gaza periphery, is in the process of being presented to those directly affected.

This is still only a “slither of the whole process”, the official said. Additional inquiries, including one into what happened at a music festival in the desert, are still to come.

– Among army’s ‘greatest failures’ –

The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures, which include hostages killed in captivity.

Out of 251 people taken hostage that day, 58 are still held in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed at least 48,365 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

“This was one of the most horrific events ever to take place in Israel,” the army official said. “It was one of the IDF’s greatest failures.”

The official said the inquiry was carried out over 15 months and focuses on four key areas: military perceptions ahead of October 7; intelligence failures; events the night prior to the attack; and the army’s actions on the day along with its efforts to regain control in the days that followed.

“We did not even imagine such a scenario,” the army official said, noting that Israel’s attention was on threats from Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah.

The official said the army had not maintained “a comprehensive understanding of the enemy’s military capabilities” and that it was “overconfident in its knowledge”.

“We were addicted to precise intel,” a second senior military official said, explaining that despite signs Hamas was preparing to attack, the army was too focused on what it believed was accurate information.

– Three waves of attacks –

The probe found that Hamas’s attack happened in three waves and saw more than 5,000 people enter Israel from Gaza at its height.

“The first wave… included more than 1,000 Nukhba (Hamas’s elite force) terrorists, who infiltrated under the cover of heavy fire,” the summary of the report said.

It said the second wave involved some 2,000 militants while the third saw hundreds more militants join the incursion, along with several thousand civilians.

“In total, approximately 5,000 terrorists infiltrated Israeli territory during the attack,” the report said. Hamas has maintained that hundreds of its fighters had carried out the attack.

The official said the first few hours of the attack were critical and saw the most killings and abductions.

It was then that Hamas’s elite unit knocked out the military’s communications system and its command and control centres, creating chaos as the army struggled to regain control.

Responding to the inquiry on Thursday, Israel’s armed forces chief said he took full responsibility for failing to prevent the Hamas attack.

“The responsibility is mine. I was the commander of the army on October 7, and I also bear the full responsibility for all of you,” Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, who announced his resignation last month, said in a video statement.

In addition to Halevi, the head of the army’s southern command Major General Yaron Finkelman, announced his resignation.

Military intelligence chief Major General Aharon Haliva stepped down in August.

Headline

EU Fines Elon Musk’s X €120m For Violating Digital Content Rules

Published

13 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has been hit with a €120 million ($140 million) fine by European Union tech regulators for violating multiple provisions of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

This marks the first significant penalty imposed under this landmark legislation.

On Friday, the European Commission announced the fine, citing various violations by X, including misleading platform features and a lack of transparency in research practices.

Regulators pointed out that one of the violations involved the misleading design of the blue verification checkmark. This feature is now linked to subscription payments instead of identity validation, which the EU described as “deceptive and potentially harmful.”

The Commission also criticized X for not maintaining transparent advertising records and for restricting researchers’ access to publicly available data on the platform.

This ruling is likely to heighten diplomatic tensions between Brussels and Washington. U.S. officials from the Trump administration had previously condemned Europe’s regulatory approach toward major tech companies, claiming that EU policies unfairly target American firms and restrict free expression.

However, the European Commission defended its stance, stating that enforcement under the DSA is not influenced by nationality. They emphasized that the legislation is designed to promote online accountability, protect users, and ensure transparency in digital operations—standards that are increasingly becoming global benchmarks.

“The DSA does not discriminate by company origin,” the Commission argued, maintaining that the penalties reflect Europe’s commitment to protecting democratic values and responsible digital governance.

The fine marks a significant test case for the EU’s new regulatory regime and could set precedent for similar action against other platforms not in full compliance with the law.

Headline

Nigerian Ringleader Of Nationwide Bank Fraud, Money Laundering Jailed In US, Says FBI

Published

14 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced the sentencing of Nigerian national Oluwaseun Adekoya, the mastermind behind a sprawling bank fraud and money-laundering operation that targeted victims across the United States.

According to investigators, Adekoya, who operated under multiple aliases including “Ace G.,” “BRODA,” “Legendary,” “SANTA,” “SANTANA,” “Sammy LaBanco,” “Sean Maison,” and “Kiing_maison” led a sophisticated criminal network that stole and laundered more than $2 million by impersonating individuals nationwide.

The FBI said the long-running operation, internally code-named Operation Catch Me if You Can, relied on coordinated efforts across numerous law enforcement and banking agencies.

Headline

VIDEO: Nigerians In UK Lament Delayed Passport Capturing At ‘Crowded’ Birmingham Centre

Published

14 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

Nigerians in the United Kingdom (UK) have cried out to the Nigerian authorities over delays in renewing their international passports, describing the capturing experience as frustrating.

According to a video from the Nigerian Passport Intervention Centre in Birmingham, sighted by Tribune Online, hundreds of people are seen lurking around while waiting for officials to arrive for the exercise.

In the video, a lady narrated how the crowd had gathered since around 4am on Friday after their names had been taken down the previous day with the promise that the capturing would be done the next day.

“They promised they’re going to start at 9am and at 12pm when I was leaving, they’ve not even started attending to people. We heard that the officials were not even at the scene,” she said.

Continuing, the video showed the arrival of some of the officials, whom the lady said had asked the crowd to return the next day.

“While I was walking to my taxi, I saw some of the officials. I recognised them from yesterday when he addressed the people saying ‘Go and come back tomorrow’. The one driving that car was the one who was addressing us yesterday,” she added, referring to a vehicle in the viral clip.

The lady further criticised their attitude to the plight of Nigerians at the centre, saying many, including herself, came with babies.

“It’s so shameful that Nigeria will still happen to you even if you’re outside Nigeria. It’s the people, not only the government,” she added.

Reacting to the video, another user simply identified as OduduAbasi Umo-Odiong, posted two short clips showing people agitated at the centre.

“People are already getting agitated today. The frustration is rising and the situation is becoming tense,” he captioned.

However, an X user, identified as Williams Ibironke, disagreed with the information in the video, saying the officials work till midnight.

“The information she posted was purposely made as content to miss direct people. those pple are working til midnight everyday, they closed @3am so how can they resume early again. I did mine @12:33am this morning and I still left people there, meaning they may not close until 2am,” he posted.

Other X users reacting to the video called on the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to act swiftly on the issue, wondering how the positive reform he introduced is addressing the issue.

“Someone has fingered a working system to their benefit. Just a few weeks ago, you can start and finish your passport renewal process on your mobile phone without leaving your home.

“What happened to that positive change?,” a user asked.

All possible efforts to get Nigerian authorities’ reaction to the issue proved abortive as of the time of filing this report as neither the Minister nor the Interior Ministry responded to messages sent to them.

Watch video here

Source: Nigerian Tribune