Aharon Haliva is the first Israeli official to take responsibility for its failure to prevent the Hamas attack or the recent Iranian counterattack.
The head of Israeli military intelligence resigned after failing to prevent the Hamas attack on October 7.
The Israeli army announced Monday the departure of Major General Aharon Haliva. He is the first Israeli official to take responsibility for its failure to prevent the attack as the government seeks to remain focused on its ongoing war in Gaza.
Haliva, who served in the military for 38 years, reportedly took responsibility for his failure to prevent attack in his resignation letter. More than 1,100 people were killed in the attack, while around 240 were captured.
“Major General Aharon Haliva, in coordination with the Chief of Staff, requested to terminate his functions, following his responsibility as head of the Intelligence Directorate for the events of October 7,” indicated the army in a press release.
With the approval of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the military statement said, it was decided that Haliva “will terminate his duties and retire” from the army “once his successor has been appointed in a manner orderly and professional.
The Hamas offensive took Israel and its security services by surprise.
In response, Israel launched a war against Gaza which killed more than 34,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities.
Haliva is the first official or politician to take responsibility for security failures.
“The intelligence leadership under my command was not up to the task entrusted to us. Since then, I have carried this dark day with me, day after day, night after night. I will forever carry with me the horrible pain of war,” Haliva wrote in his resignation letter.
However, pressure has only grown as calls for Israel to accept a deal guaranteeing the captives’ release persist, and tensions in the region threaten to flare. conflict with Iran.
“Immense” pressure
Speaking to Al Jazeera, political analyst Yossi Mekelberg said that as the conflict drags on with no end in sight, Haliva’s decision to resign seemed inevitable.
“Something is rotten in the realm of Israeli intelligence,” said Mekelberg, a research associate at the British think tank Chatham House.
“The pressure on Haliva was immense,” he said, adding, not only because of the failures of October 7, but also for failing to assess the Iranian response to the Israeli attack on its consular building in the capital Syrian, Damascus, which pushed the region to the brink of war.
“They have left the country and the region on alert – it seems that no one warned of the possibility that more than 300 missiles, including ballistic ones, would be launched against Israel,” Mekelberg added.
While Haliva and others accepted responsibility for failing to stop the attack, others stopped short, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he would answer tough questions about his role, but did not clearly recognize his direct responsibility in the unfolding of the attack. .
Instead, he continues to present an optimistic front, insisting on continuing the military campaign in Gaza in an apparent bid to survive political pressure, which has intensified both domestically and internationally.
