Haliva’s Resignation Sparks Scrutiny as The Israeli Military Grapples With The Aftermath of The Deadliest Attack in The Nation’s History.
The Israeli military’s intelligence chief, Major General Aharon Haliva, has resigned after claiming responsibility for the failures before Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Haliva would retire once his successor was selected. He acknowledged that his intelligence directorate did not live up to the task they were entrusted with and was the first senior figure to step down over the attack, which was the deadliest in Israel’s history.
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. About 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, mostly civilians, were killed and 253 others were taken back to Gaza as hostages. Israel responded by launching its most intense-ever war in Gaza to destroy Hamas and free the hostages. More than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in the conflict, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Maj Gen Haliva’s resignation was anticipated, as he had stated 10 days after the attack that he bore full responsibility for the intelligence failures of his directorate. However, the announcement sets the stage for more fallout from Israel’s top security officials, including the IDF’s chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, and the director of the Shin Bet security service, Ronen Bar.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that “everyone will need to provide answers, myself included,” but has refused to accept any direct responsibility. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called Haliva’s decision to resign “justified and honorable” but added that Mr. Netanyahu “should have done the same.”