The intelligence chief of Israel’s Defense Forces has resigned.
He cited failures linked to the Hamas terror attack carried out on Oct. 7, during which 1,200 people died in Israel and more than 200 were taken hostage.
Haliva is the first senior official to step down over the incident. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far not directly accepted fault for the attack, despite protests calling for his resignation.
“On Saturday, October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel, whose consequences are severe and painful. The intelligence division under my command did not live up to the task assigned to it,” Major General Aharon Haliva said in a resignation letter supplied by the IDF.
“At the beginning of the war I expressed to you my desire to accept responsibility and finish my duties,” he added. “After more than six months, and at the same time as the investigations begin, I would like to resign from my position.”
Haliva had previously assumed responsibility for failure to prevent the devastating attack, amid mounting domestic criticism and demands for accountability from Israel’s highest echelons. He is the first senior official to step down over the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has so far not directly accepted fault for the attack, despite protests calling for his resignation and survey results indicating that the majority of Israelis believe he should acknowledge culpability, according to Reuters and the Times of Israel.
Haliva’s resignation comes as the IDF faces intense scrutiny over the proportionality of its months-long retaliatory war campaign in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas has retreated with its hostages.
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