The head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate has offered to resign and is expected to officially step down due to his leadership during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and has been seen as a significant intelligence failure for Israel.
Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, has asked to resign in coordination with the Israeli Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi. The decision was also approved by Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, according to a Telegram post from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Haliva will formally resign once a successor is appointed, the IDF said.
The events of Oct. 7 were the deadliest for the Jewish people since the Holocaust and marked the worst intelligence failure in Israeli history, a country that had not experienced a sudden invasion or major attack like this since the Yom Kippur war of 1973.
Hamas fighters broke through several checkpoints and border areas separating Gaza from Israel and entered the southern part of the country, overpowering military bases and moving freely across communities for hours.
Following the attacks, Israel has mainly focused on the conflict with Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has led to the deaths of more than 34,000 people in Gaza. However, Israel has committed to conducting a more thorough investigation into the events of that day once the situation has stabilized.
Haliva would be the highest-ranking Israeli official to step down due to the Oct. 7 attacks, during which Hamas fighters also abducted about 250 people, leaving approximately 130 hostages in Gaza.
In his resignation letter, Haliva expressed that he carried a “heavy responsibility” as the head of military intelligence and acknowledged that the division under his leadership “did not meet the requirements” on Oct. 7.
He wrote, “I have carried the burden of that dark day with me every day and night since then. I will carry the pain with me forever.”
Haliva’s announcement increases the pressure on the Israeli government to launch a formal inquiry into the Oct. 7 attacks, despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has persisted for over six months and may continue until the end of the year or even longer.
Haliva called for the establishment of an official investigative committee to thoroughly review the events of Oct. 7.
Until his replacement is announced, Haliva stated that he would continue to serve his country and “do everything for the defeat of Hamas and those who want to harm us, and for the return of all the abducted, captives, and missing people to their homes and lands.”
