Israel’s armed forces intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Aaron Haliva, has resigned, taking “responsibility” for the failure to prevent the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas against Israel, it has been announced. by the Israeli armed forces.
He is the first Israeli official – civilian or military – to resign since the bloody raid by Hamas militants, which surprised Israel on October 7, the bloodiest day in the history of the Israeli state since its establishment in 1948.
Major General Haliva, “in coordination with the chief of the general staff, requested the termination of his duties,” the armed forces said in a statement. “It has been decided that General Haliva will relinquish his duties and retire once his successor is appointed.”
“On October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out a deadly surprise attack against the State of Israel (…) the intelligence service under my command did not carry out the mission assigned to us,” says Major General Haliva, who serves here and 38 years in the armed forces, in his resignation letter released by the Israeli military.
“Since then I carry this black day with me. One day after another, one night after another. I will carry this terrible pain with me forever,” he adds.
The October 7 Hamas attack killed 1,170 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel retaliated by launching a military operation in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, vowing to eliminate the Palestinian group, whose fighters also took 250 hostages to Gaza on October 7, of whom about 100 were released during a truce at the end of November.
Israeli operations in Gaza have claimed the lives of more than 34,000 people, the majority of them women and children, according to Hamas’ health ministry.
Tags: Israel Chief military intelligence resigned
