Rep. Mike Turner states that the U.S. is helping Israel identify “gaps” in intelligence before the Oct. 7 attack.
Washington — House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Turner said Sunday that the U.S. is assisting Israel in helping find Hamas leadership and identifying its blind spots that could have possibly prevented the Oct. 7 attack.
According to the Ohio Republican on “Face the Nation,” it appears that Israel and its intelligence community have dismissed the possibility of such a significant threat, highlighting the overall failure that has taken place.
A member of the Israeli military, stationed in a team that monitors Gaza, informed CBS News recently that her unit had raised concerns about suspicious behavior to higher-ups six months prior to the terrorist attack. However, she stated that these reports were disregarded.
The report states that Israel was aware of Hamas’ attack strategy over a year in advance, but Israeli military and intelligence leaders rejected the information as merely a goal. A separate intelligence unit expressed concerns three months prior to the attack, but these concerns were also dismissed.
According to Turner, American intelligence is currently collaborating with Israeli intelligence in order to identify any deficiencies they may have.
Turner stated that it is possible that an institutional bias led to the dismissal of the matter. However, another concerning factor was that their forces did not react or have the capability to respond or prevent the events on October 7.
The United States is aiding Israel in finding Hamas leaders, according to the speaker. He mentioned that CIA director William Burns has just come back from the Middle East. During his visit, Burns attempted to ensure that our intelligence system is collaborating closely with Israel in order to address some of their evident deficiencies.
According to Turner, the U.S. is choosing which information to share with Israel.
The speaker noted that there is a difference between being able to search for a particular person and gather information about their whereabouts and actions, and actually leading an operation. The director has emphasized that our intelligence is not simply being handed over, which allows us to proceed with caution.
According to Turner, there are worries that Israel is not adequately safeguarding civilians while targeting Hamas.
The U.S. is collaborating with Israel to ensure they are exercising caution and accuracy in their targeting, as the number of civilian casualties continues to increase, according to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby’s appearance on “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
Kirby stated that the ideal number of civilian casualties is none. However, it is evident that numerous individuals have lost their lives, sustained injuries, and over a million have been forced to leave their homes. We are aware of this tragic situation and acknowledge its gravity.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that over 15,000 individuals have lost their lives since October 7th. According to Kirby, the United States does not have a confirmed death toll.
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Source: cbsnews.com