First Senior Israeli Official Resigns Over Oct. 7 Attack Failings
The head of Israel’s military intelligence stepped down on Monday in connection with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, the first resignation of a senior Israeli official over the failure to prevent the deadliest terror attack in the country’s history.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva would be relieved of his duties and retire once a successor has been appointed. “The intelligence directorate under my command did not live up to the task we were entrusted with,” Haliva wrote in a resignation letter.
Haliva publicly said soon after the rampage that he was partly responsible for failing to thwart the attacks. Hamas militants killed 1,200 people—most of whom were civilians—during the assault, while around 250 more were abducted and taken as hostages in Gaza, according to Israeli figures.