Israeli military intelligence chief Aaron Haliva, who last year took responsibility for the failures that allowed Hamas to launch an attack on Israel on October 7, has resigned, Reuters reported on Monday, citing a military statement, UNN reports.
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Major General Aharon Haliva was one of many high-ranking Israeli commanders who said they failed to anticipate and prevent one of the most devastating attacks in Israel's history.
"The reconnaissance unit under my command failed to fulfill the task entrusted to us. Since then, I have been carrying this dark day with me," he said in a resignation letter released by the military.
The head of the armed forces, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, and the head of the Shin Bet's internal intelligence agency, Ronen Bar, took responsibility after the attack, but remained in their positions while the war in Gaza continues, the newspaper notes.
"By contrast, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to take responsibility, even though polls show that most Israelis blame him for not doing enough to prevent or defend against the attack," the newspaper writes.
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During the October 7 attack, thousands of Hamas and other groups broke through the high-tech security barriers around the Gaza Strip, taking Israeli forces by surprise and invading communities around the enclave.
The attack killed about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, most of whom were civilians, and about 250 people were taken prisoner in the Gaza Strip, where 133 people remain hostages, the newspaper said.