Almost every IDF unit has undergone an in-depth investigation following the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. But there is one unit that has not been investigated, i.e. the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), as reported by Doron Kadosh on IDF Radio.
COGAT, headed by Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, has played a central role in shaping Israel’s policy toward Gaza in recent years. Senior defense officials note, "Maj. Gen. Alian is one of the only generals in the IDF who not only implements policy, but also shapes it."
In the years preceding the massacre, COGAT led moves to promote an arrangement with Hamas, including increasing the number of Gazan workers entering Israel, establishing an industrial zone at the Erez Crossing, promoting the "Gas for Gaza" project, and approving the development of the marine gas field off the coast of the Gaza Strip. COGAT was also responsible for bringing goods into Gaza, including "dual-use" materials used in Hamas' terrorist activities.
Kadosh adds that one of the most prominent examples of this is the exceptional approval given by COGAT in June 2023, four months before the attack, to bring motorcycle tires into Gaza, after about a decade during which no such authorization was granted, due to a fear of them being used by terrorists. On October 7th, motorcycles were used extensively during the Hamas massacre on communities near the Gaza Strip.
However, despite COGAT's centrality in shaping policy vis-à-vis Gaza, the unit was not interrogated. Results of the extensive investigations that were recently presented to the public also did not include the role of the body responsible for promoting civilian and economic policy vis-à-vis the Gaza Strip.
A COGAT spokesperson said: "Contrary to what was claimed, the unit was included in the operational debriefings, some of which were presented to the public. We emphasize that COGAT acted before and after October 7 to implement the policy set by the Israeli governments in the Gaza Strip."
On the other hand, the IDF Spokesperson confirmed the publication and added: "COGAT was never interrogated after the massacre."