Major General David Zini, nominated to lead the ISA, reported that the IDF was unprepared for a surprise attack half a year before the October 7th massacre.
The Prime Minister’s Office emphasized on Friday morning that one of the key reasons for appointing David Zini as head of the ISA was his early warning about the Israeli security system’s lack of preparedness for a catastrophic scenario like the October 7th massacre.
According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Zini was asked in March 2022, gsix months before the invasion – by the commander of the Gaza Division to assess the division’s readiness, with a specific focus on surprise raids. During his review, Zini identified critical operational vulnerabilities and recommended improvements.
An excerpt from Zini’s classified report, which was approved for publication by Prime Minister Netanyahu, reads:
“In almost every sector, a surprise raid could be executed against our forces, undermining the concept of ‘surprised but not defeated.’ There are numerous ways to carry out such an attack during routine times. In my view, an above-ground attack represents the most plausible and accessible option.”
Zini further warned that while the term “surprise raid” was frequently mentioned, there was a failure to fully understand or prepare for such threats in practical terms.
“The concept of a surprise scenario is not clearly imagined or internalized by our forces,” he wrote. “As a result, operational readiness is seriously lacking.”
He concluded that without clearly defined scenarios, the IDF remained unaware of what threats to anticipate or how to prepare effectively:
“The main deficiency lies in the situatsituationalional awareness of both the troops and the wider defense system.”
Netanyahu announced the nomination last night despite instructions from the Supreme Court and Attorney General that he could not do so while the Qatar-Gate investigation was still underway.The Prime Minister’s Office emphasized on Friday morning that one of the key reasons for appointing David Zini as head of the ISA was his early warning about the Israeli security system’s lack of preparedness for a catastrophic scenario like the October 7th massacre.
According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Zini was asked in March 2022, gsix months before the invasion – by the commander of the Gaza Division to assess the division’s readiness, with a specific focus on surprise raids. During his review, Zini identified critical operational vulnerabilities and recommended improvements.
An excerpt from Zini’s classified report, which was approved for publication by Prime Minister Netanyahu, reads:
“In almost every sector, a surprise raid could be executed against our forces, undermining the concept of ‘surprised but not defeated.’ There are numerous ways to carry out such an attack during routine times. In my view, an above-ground attack represents the most plausible and accessible option.”
Zini further warned that while the term “surprise raid” was frequently mentioned, there was a failure to fully understand or prepare for such threats in practical terms.
“The concept of a surprise scenario is not clearly imagined or internalized by our forces,” he wrote. “As a result, operational readiness is seriously lacking.”
He concluded that without clearly defined scenarios, the IDF remained unaware of what threats to anticipate or how to prepare effectively:
“The main deficiency lies in the situatsituationalional awareness of both the troops and the wider defense system.”
Netanyahu announced the nomination last night despite instructions from the Supreme Court and Attorney General that he could not do so while the Qatar-Gate investigation was still underway.
