Israel’s outgoing military intelligence chief, Major General Aharon Haliva, accepted responsibility for the failures to defend the country’s borders during the October 7 attack, as he officially stepped down during a resignation ceremony on Wednesday.
Haliva, a 38-year veteran of the military, had announced his resignation in April. He is among several senior Israeli commanders who acknowledged their inability to anticipate and prevent the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
“The failure of the intelligence corps was my fault,” Haliva stated at the ceremony, calling for a national investigation to thoroughly examine and understand the reasons that led to the war between Israel and Hamas.
The October 7 attack severely damaged the reputation of the Israeli military and intelligence services, which had been viewed as nearly invincible by Palestinian armed groups like Hamas.
In the early hours of that day, following a heavy rocket barrage, thousands of fighters from Hamas and other groups breached security barriers around Gaza, catching Israeli forces off guard and launching an assault on communities in southern Israel. The attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, most of whom were civilians. Around 250 people were taken captive into Gaza, according to Israeli counts. Of the 109 hostages believed to remain in Gaza, roughly a third are thought to have died.
While the head of the armed forces, Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi, and the head of the domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, also accepted responsibility after the attack, they have remained in their positions as the conflict in Gaza continues.
