JERUSALEM: The Israeli military announced on Monday that Major General Aharon Haliva, head of its intelligence directorate, has resigned from his position following failures that contributed to the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7. This attack, which shocked Israel and the international community, resulted in significant casualties.
In a statement, the military explained that Major General Aharon Haliva requested to step down in coordination with the chief of the general staff, taking responsibility for the events of October 7 under his leadership of the intelligence directorate. It was decided that he will retire from the IDF once his successor is appointed through an orderly and professional process.
In his resignation letter, Haliva, who served in the force for 38 years, acknowledged the failure to prevent the deadly attack by Hamas. He expressed deep remorse for the tragic outcome and emphasized the need for a comprehensive investigation into the factors and circumstances that led to the attack.
The Hamas attack on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, predominantly civilians, according to news agency tally based on official Israeli figures. In response to the attack, Israel has pledged to eradicate Hamas and has launched a vigorous military campaign against the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.
Since the onset of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, the Palestinian territory’s health ministry reported that 34,097 individuals have been killed, with the majority being women and children.
