IDF upper echelons debate who approved Nova festival to take place

Initial findings from the investigation into the Nova Festival massacre on October 7 are expected to be presented next week, Walla reported on Monday.

On October 7, as part of a surprise attack, Hamas terrorists arrived at the area of the nature party and massacred the festival participants who fled in all directions. A total of 364 civilians were brutally murdered, including 17 policemen, and 44 were kidnapped by the terrorists and taken to the Gaza Strip.

IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Col. Herzi Halevi, appointed the former IDF Combat Engineering commander Brigadier General Ido Mizrahi a few months ago to investigate the events of the Nova Festival near Kibbutz Re'im.

Walla has learned that next week, Brigadier General Mizrahi is expected to present the investigation findings to the Chief of Staff. After the Chief of Staff requests completion before concluding the investigation, the IDF will present the investigation to the families and the involved parties at the beginning of September. According to estimates from sources familiar with the details, the findings of the investigation will be "very shocking."

Against the backdrop of behind-the-scenes tension between the Operations Division and the Operations Division of the General Staff, the Southern Command, and the Gaza Division, a professional debate is ongoing about who approved the festival near the Gaza Strip border on days when there were minimal forces at the border. 

The difficult questions that arise include who in the IDF approved the festival, which thousands of citizens attended, who knew about the festival's existence when decisions were made on the night between October 6 and 7, and how long it took the IDF to realize a massacre was taking place in the festival area, build a situational picture, and deploy large forces there.

Security officials familiar with the investigation details said Hamas did not know about the festival's actual existence. According to initial investigations, the terrorists riding in vans and motorcycles on Route 232 discovered the festival by chance, reported it to the Nukhba commanders, and more terrorists arrived at the scene, pursuing the festival escapees.

It is important to emphasize the scale of what happened when civilians were massacred during the Nova Festival. Terrorists shot people as they fled, hid in the vegetation, or fled to surrounding settlements and waited for help. One famous case involved nearly 30 people hiding in a shelter, including Nahal reconnaissance fighter Aner Shapira, who protected people at the shelter entrance after terrorists threw grenades at them. He repeatedly threw them out until he was killed. Sixteen young people were murdered by his side, four were kidnapped, and seven survived.

Israel Police also conducted investigation into Nova Festival massacre 

It is important to note that the Israel Police conducted an in-depth investigation into the Nova Festival, including a presentation to the State Comptroller's Office. There is no doubt that the resourcefulness of the police commanders in the rescue area saved many lives.

The IDF spokesperson responded to these developments, stating, "The investigation of the massacre at the Nova party has not yet been concluded, and the date of its presentation has not yet been determined. The investigation is being carried out these days and is in progress. When the investigation is concluded, it will be presented first to the bereaved families and then to the public."