While the question of how many Israelis were killed by Israeli forces on October 7 is yet to be fully answered, it is now established that “many” were

Early media reports and analysis of the scene of attacks on October 7, 2023 have concluded that not all the 1200 people killed on that day were killed by Hamas fighters. The charred cars and level of destruction suggested the use of heavy weaponry that neither Hamas fighters nor other armed factions that took part in the attack possessed. Many of the Israelis who were at the scene during the attack reported tanks and helicopters firing their weapons. Now, more specific findings are confirming the early reporting: Israeli security forces killed other Israeli armed forces members as well as Israeli civilians on October 7.

In this new report, Israeli officials now acknowledge that "many" of the victims of October 7 were killed in "multiple" incidents of friendly fire due to "our forces shooting at our forces" and because of "real-time decisions - which turned out to be wrong."

Months ago, it was reported that Israel has begun investigating possible breaches of the law by its forces during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, the military said on Tuesday, following reports some Israeli civilians may have been killed by friendly fire.

More recently, a United Nations investigation has concluded that “the Israeli military likely killed more than a dozen of its own citizens during the October 7 attacks," reported the Telegraph newspaper last week.

The report by the UN commission investigating the attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza documented “strong indications” that the “Hannibal Directive” was used in several instances that day, “harming Israelis at the same time as striking Palestinian militants.”

The directive – officially revoked in 2016 – was put in place to prevent the capture of Israeli soldiers by enemy forces who may use them as bargaining chips, allowing troops to open fire even if it caused the death of a comrade.

 UN investigators, led by Navi Pillay, a former UN human rights chief, concluded that at least 1

4 Israeli civilians, including 12-year-old twins and a 68-year-old grandmother, “were likely killed as a result of Israeli security forces fire.”

These specific accusations have not yet been addressed by Israel, but the government angrily rejected the overall report, which accused both Palestinian groups and Israel of committing war crimes. The UN panel also claimed Israel’s conduct of the war included crimes against humanity.