The head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate announced his resignation on Monday, citing guilt over his failure to prevent the October 7 Hamas attacks. Major General Aharon Haliva, a 38-year veteran of the Israel Defense Force, is the first senior military official to step down in the wake of the deadliest assault in Israel’s history.
“The intelligence directorate under my command did not live up to the task we were entrusted with,” Gen. Haliva wrote in a resignation letter translated by the Associated Press. “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.”
Shortly after the October 7 attacks, Haliva publicly said that he took full responsibility for the intelligence failure that allowed the deadly assault to happen, leading many to anticipate his resignation. The unpresented incursion by Hamas militants resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israeli citizens, mostly civilians, and the capture of over 250 hostages.
With Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza entering its seventh month and a government investigation probing the security breach, Haliva indicated that now was the right time to step down from his position.
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The major general’s resignation was accepted by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who thanked Haliva for his nearly four decades of service with the IDF. Haliva will remain in his post until a replacement can be appointed. “Until the end of my shift, I will do everything for the defeat of Hamas and those who want to harm us and, the work for the return of the captives and the missing to their homes and land,” he said.
While many other military intelligence officials were expected to resign after October 7, Haliva is the only one to do so given the conflicts that broke out after the attacks. Israel’s ground operations in Gaza are ongoing as the IDF encircles the southern city of Rafah, additional forces have been deployed to fight the Lebanese forces of Hezbollah in the north, and recent developments have moved Israel towards a heated engagement with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In light of these threats, Israeli government officials have questioned the wisdom of allowing senior military leadership to depart en masse before the conflicts are resolved.
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However, those opposed to Israel’s handling of the war heralded Haliva’s departure as a positive development and called for further accountability in the government. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid Party, for example, called the general’s resignation “justified and dignified,” and further said that “it would be appropriate for Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu to do the same.”
Netanyahu has notably denied any responsibility for allowing the attacks to unfold and refused to step down despite growing protests against his administration. However, he has on several occasions pledged to answer tough questions about the security breakdown once the ongoing conflicts are resolved.
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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