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Gaza war: Head of Israeli intelligence unit quits over October 7 failure

Gaza war: Head of Israeli intelligence unit quits over October 7 failure

File photo.

The Israeli military said on Thursday (Sept 12) that the head of an elite intelligence unit submitted his resignationover the failure to prevent Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack.

"The commander of the 8200 unit, (Brigadier General) Yossi Sariel, has informed his commanders and subordinates of his intention to end his position," the army said in a statement, adding that Sariel would conclude his role shortly.

Resigned intelligence chief asks for forgiveness

On Thursday, the Israeli mediabroadcast a copy of Sariel's resignation letter in which he asked for "forgiveness" for "not fulfilling the mission we were entrusted with" on October 7.

Sariel's resignation comes afterMajor General Aharon Haliva resigned as the commander of the MilitaryIntelligenceDirectorate in April. At that time, the army saidHaliva had asked to be relieved of his duties for the directorate's failure to foil the Hamas attack.

The Unit 8200

The prestigious and secretive Unit 8200 is in charge of decoding and analysing intercepts and other signalsintelligence, a report by the news agency AFP said.

In June,public broadcaster Kan disclosed the existence of anintelligencebrief prepared by Unit 8200 in September 2023 that warned military officials of Hamas's preparations for the attack.

The unit's document included details of elite Hamas fighters training for hostage-taking and plans for raids on military positions and Israeli communities in southern Israel.

(With inputs from agencies)