Israel’s military intelligence chief resigns over failure to prevent Hamas’ deadliest attack: Global: Business Times

Major General Aharon Haliva, the head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, has resigned after failing to prevent Hamas’ unprecedented attack on October 7, the deadliest terrorist attack in Israel’s history, Israel said. army (IDF) announced on Monday. Haliva’s resignation comes nearly six and a half months after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, rampaging through Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking about 250 hostages to Gaza.

In his resignation letter, Haliva wrote: “The Intelligence Directorate under my command did not fulfill the task entrusted to us. Since then I have carried that black day with me, day after day, night after night. pain of the war with me forever.” The decision to resign was made with the approval of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and the military chief of staff accepted Haliva’s request and thanked him for his 38 years of service.

Haliva’s resignation could set the stage for further fallout from Israel’s top security force over the Hamas attack, which sparked a war in Gaza between the Jewish state and Hamas. The war, now in its seventh month, has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, with at least two-thirds of the dead being children and women, according to the local health ministry. The fighting has devastated Gaza’s two largest cities and prompted 80% of the territory’s population to flee to other parts of the besieged coastal enclave, creating a humanitarian catastrophe that has prompted warnings of an impending famine.

Shortly after the start of the war, Haliva publicly took the blame as head of the military department responsible for providing intelligence alerts and daily warnings to the government and military. Other military and security leaders are also reportedly set to resign in response to the intelligence failures that led to the October 7 attack.

However, the timing of this resignation is unclear as Israel remains embroiled in multiple conflicts, battling Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, and facing heightened tensions with Iran following recent direct attacks between the two enemies. Some military experts have argued that stepping down at this point could be interpreted as a sign of weakness and is irresponsible, while Israel is fighting on multiple fronts.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced mounting protests demanding his resignation and early elections, has indicated he will not step down. Although Netanyahu has said he will answer tough questions about his role in the October 7 attack, he has not yet outright acknowledged direct responsibility for allowing the attack to occur.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid welcomed Haliva’s resignation, calling it “justified and dignified” and suggesting Prime Minister Netanyahu should follow suit. The unprecedented attack on October 7 shattered Israelis’ confidence in their military, which most Jews view as one of the country’s most trusted institutions. Haliva’s resignation could restore some of that trust.

In addition to the devastation in Gaza, the war has sent shockwaves through the region, with tensions rocking the Israeli-occupied West Bank and towns and villages in Israel itself. On Monday, Israeli police said a car rammed into pedestrians in Jerusalem, slightly injuring three people. Security camera footage showed two men getting out of the car with a gun before fleeing the scene. The two men were later arrested by police.

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