"The responsibility is on the prime minister, the defence minister and chief of staff," retired judge Eliahu Winograd said in presenting the interim findings into the handling of last summer's 34-day war.

Decisions and actions by the three "add up to a serious failure in exercising judgment, responsibility and prudence," he said.

The report said that Olmert made decisions hastily and without proper preparations.

"The prime minister made up his mind hastily, despite the fact that no detailed military plan was submitted to him and without asking for one.

"He made his decisions without systematic consultation with others, especially outside the the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces), despite not having experience in external-political and military affairs.

"In addition, he did not adequately consider political and professional reservations presented to him before the fateful decisions of July 12th" when Hezbollah launched the deadly cross-border raid in which it seized two Israeli soldiers, sparking the war.