Israel’s outgoing military intelligence chief, Major General Aharon Haliva, accepted responsibility for the country’s inability to protect its border during the October 7 attack, during his resignation ceremony on Wednesday. Haliva, a 38-year military veteran, had announced his resignation in April. He acknowledged the intelligence corps’ failure, attributing it to his leadership and called for a national investigation to thoroughly examine the factors that led to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The October 7 attack severely damaged the reputation of Israel’s military and intelligence agencies, which were previously considered nearly invincible by armed Palestinian groups like Hamas. Early that morning, after an intense rocket barrage, thousands of Hamas fighters breached Gaza’s security barriers, catching Israeli forces off guard and launching attacks on southern Israeli communities.
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The attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, mostly civilians, and around 250 people were captured and taken to Gaza, according to Israeli reports. About 109 hostages are still believed to be in Gaza, with around a third feared dead.
Despite accepting responsibility after the attack, Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi, the head of the armed forces, and Ronen Bar, the head of the domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, have remained in their positions as the conflict in Gaza continues.
