More than six months since Hamas' brutal attack against Israel, the nation's military intelligence chief resigned, the Israel Defense Forces announced Monday.
Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva took responsibility for Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, saying “the intelligence directorate under my command did not live up to the task we were entrusted with.”
“I carry that black day with me ever since, day after day, night after night. I will carry the horrible pain of the war with me forever," the resignation letter continued, according to a translation from the Associated Press.
In a statement posted on X, the IDF thanked Haliva for his decades of service.
“The Chief of the General Staff thanked Major General Aharon Haliva for his 38 years of service in the IDF, during which he made significant contributions to the security of the State of Israel as both a combat soldier and commander.”
In coordination with the Chief of the General Staff, the Head of the Intelligence Directorate, MG Aharon Haliva, has requested to end his position, following his leadership responsibility as the Head of the Intelligence Directorate for the events of October 7.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) April 22, 2024
The Chief of the…
I’ve known MG Haliva for many years, a combat commander and a leader. This is exactly what I expected him to do. Personal accountability is a trait that too many leaders veer away from, from Haliva it was clear he would run towards the fire. Thank you for your service, leadership… https://t.co/sEr9fgk3o7
— Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) April 22, 2024
Haliva, who will remain in his position until a replacement is named, reportedly planned to resign immediately following the attack over the security and intelligence failures that led to 10/7, but stayed on when the war started.
Since the Oct. 7 assault, Israelis have learned about a slew of military and intelligence failures that have destabilized their sense of security and shaken confidence in their leaders. One of the most significant was the assessment of many in Israel’s security establishment that Hamas in Gaza was not preparing for a major battle.
Israel also had a copy of Hamas’s battle plan for Oct. 7 more than a year in advance, but analysts had determined that an attack of that scale and ambition was beyond the group’s capacity, according to documents and officials. (NYT)
Haliva is the first senior figure to resign over Oct. 7 but his decision "could set the stage for more resignations among top Israeli security officials," AP reports.