Israel's military intelligence chief resigns

What happened

Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the top military intelligence officer in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), resigned Monday, becoming the first senior Israeli official to step down over the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

Who said what

The intelligence directorate "under my command failed to warn of the terror attack," Haliva said. We "failed in our most important mission," and "I bear full responsibility for the failure." Haliva's resignation was "justified and honorable," Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said on X. "It would have been appropriate for Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu to do the same." 

The commentary

Haliva's resignation "could help restore" some of the faith in Israel's revered military that was "shattered" by the Oct. 7 attack, The Associated Press said. The long-postponed "bitter reckoning" about the "October failure" may finally be "gathering momentum," The New York Times said, adding "pressure on other senior figures," notably Netanyahu, to step down or at least "take greater responsibility for their role in the catastrophe."

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What next?

Haliva will stay in his position until a replacement is found, the IDF said.