IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has blocked the release of a highly sensitive report detailing military failures during Hamas’ October 7 massacre, fearing its conclusions could destabilize senior ranks on the eve of a major offensive in Gaza City.

The document, compiled by a panel led by retired Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman, was meant to review the IDF’s internal probes into the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.

According to senior military officials, the Turgeman panel found that the IDF’s Operations Division—responsible for overseeing force deployment in war and peace—was the most glaring weak spot. The report concluded that the division’s internal self-investigation was “flawed and incomplete,” and recommended reopening the probe.

Particular scrutiny fell on Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, who led the division at the time. Binder’s staff, previous IDF reviews found, failed to deliver clear assessments to the General Staff during the crucial early hours of the assault. Binder was nonetheless promoted earlier this year to head of Military Intelligence by then-Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, who insisted there was no evidence of personal negligence that should derail his advancement.

The Turgeman report, sources say, “marked red” the division’s performance, signaling the urgent need for further inquiry. Still, Zamir has stood by Binder—for now—delaying any reckoning until after the anticipated Gaza City campaign.

The report is now locked inside IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, described by insiders as a “ticking time bomb.” Since Zamir succeeded Halevi in March, unease has grown within the military’s top brass, fueled by suspicions that political considerations are shaping how the findings are handled.

Critics charge that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies have sought to pin blame squarely on the military, while resisting calls for a state commission of inquiry that could also implicate civilian leaders. Netanyahu’s government has faced mounting accusations of emboldening Hamas in the years prior to the attack by allowing millions in Qatari funds to flow into Gaza.

The fallout has already spilled into senior officer appointments. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz recently blocked two promotions authorized by Zamir, citing the officers’ indirect roles in the October 7 disaster—even as others with more direct involvement advanced.

In a statement, the IDF said Zamir has not yet reviewed the Turgeman report, stressing that the committee was established to identify systemic lessons rather than assign personal blame.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)