The Israeli military’s intelligence chief has resigned, claiming personal responsibility for the failures before Hamas’s attack on Israel on the fateful day of October 7.
Major General Aharon Haliva acknowledged in a letter that his intelligence directorate „did not live up to the task we were entrusted with”.
In his resignation letter, the general wrote: „I carry that black day with me ever since, day after day, night after night. I will carry the horrible pain of the war with me forever.”
Israeli military and intelligence officials missed or ignored multiple warnings before hundreds of Hamas gunmen breached the Gaza border fence that day and attacked nearby Israeli communities, military bases and a music festival, says the BBC.
About 1,200 Israelis and foreigners – mostly civilians – were killed and 253 others were taken back to Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel responded by launching its most intense ever war in Gaza with the aims of destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages.
More than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza – most of them children and women – have been killed in the conflict, the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry says.
Major General Aharon Haliva also called for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry „that can investigate and find out in a thorough, in-depth, comprehensive and precise manner all the factors and circumstances that led to the difficult events”.
Major General Aharon Haliva is the first senior figure to step down over the attack, which were the deadliest in Israel’s history. This is likely to influence other security officials into resignation.
The IDF’s chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, and the director of the Shin Bet security service, Ronen Bar, have both taken responsibility for failing to protect Israelis but decided to stay on for the war in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far denied any direct responsibility – though many expected a statement along these lines.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Major General Aharon Haliva would retire once his successor was selected. His resignation was anticipated, given previous statements of regret he’d made.
Ukraine thrown a lifeline as U.S. Congress approves aid bill to beat back Russia
