The pinnacle of Israeli navy intelligence, who final yr accepted duty for the failures that allowed the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, has resigned, the navy mentioned in an announcement on Monday.
Maj.-Gen. Aharon Haliva was considered one of a variety of senior Israeli commanders who mentioned they’d did not foresee and forestall essentially the most devastating assault in Israel’s historical past.
“The intelligence division beneath my command didn’t dwell as much as the duty we have been entrusted with. I’ve carried that black day with me ever since,” he mentioned in a resignation letter launched by the navy.
In the course of the Oct. 7 assault, hundreds of fighters from Hamas and different teams broke by the high-tech safety boundaries round Gaza, stunning Israeli forces and rampaging by the communities across the enclave.
Some 1,200 Israelis and foreigners have been killed within the assault, together with a number of Canadian residents. Round 250 have been taken into captivity in Gaza, the place 133 stay as hostages, based on Israeli authorities tallies.
The assault badly tarnished the status of the Israeli navy and intelligence providers, beforehand seen as just about unbeatable.
The pinnacle of the armed forces, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, and the pinnacle of the home intelligence company Shin Guess, Ronen Bar, each accepted duty within the aftermath of the assault however have stayed on whereas the struggle in Gaza has continued.
Against this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thus far not accepted duty, though surveys point out that the majority Israelis blame him for failing to do sufficient to forestall or defend in opposition to the assault.
1000’s of Israeli demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday to name for brand new elections and demand extra motion from the federal government to carry the hostages held in Gaza house, within the newest spherical of protests in opposition to Netanyahu.
“We’re right here to protest in opposition to this authorities that retains dragging us down, month after month; earlier than October 7, after October 7. We saved taking place in a spiral,” mentioned Yalon Pikman, 58, who attended a march in Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu has pledged to proceed the Israeli marketing campaign in Gaza, threatening a floor offensive in Rafah, the place it is believed over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million persons are presently gathered.
WATCH l Israelis nonetheless dedicated to eliminating Hamas, however need management change, analyst says:
U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Israel to not launch a large-scale offensive in Rafah to keep away from extra Palestinian civilian casualties.
No less than 34,151 Palestinians have been killed and 77,084 wounded in Israel’s navy offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza Well being Ministry mentioned in an announcement on Monday. The ministry doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians, although it has mentioned the vast majority of the useless are ladies and youngsters.