Israel needs ‘objective external investigation’ into October 7, says outgoing Air Force chief

By Emanuel Fabian

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5 May 2026, 6:25 pm

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Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar speaks to soldiers at an Iron Dome battery, January 21, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Outgoing Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar calls for an “external” committee to investigate the failures of the October 7, 2023, onslaught, something the government has resisted forming for nearly three years.

“It is clear to all that the full picture will become clear only after the work of an objective external investigation committee,” he says at a handover ceremony.

“This is essential for the IDF, for all the security bodies in the state, for the [bereaved] families… and for the trust between the citizens and the IDF and the country that is supposed to protect them,” Bar says.