TEL AVIV, Israel: The head of Israel’s elite Unit 8200, Brigadier General Yossi Sariel, announced his resignation following the intelligence failure to prevent the deadly Hamas attack on October 7.
Unit 8200, known for its secretive and crucial role in intercepting and analyzing intelligence, faced criticism after the attack that resulted in the deaths of over 1,205 people, including civilians and hostages.
Sariel’s resignation follows that of Major General Aharon Haliva, the head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, who also resigned earlier in April 2024 due to the failure to anticipate the attack. In his resignation letter, Sariel sought forgiveness for “not fulfilling the mission we were entrusted with.”
A report by public broadcaster Kan in June revealed that Unit 8200 had prepared an intelligence brief in September 2023, warning of Hamas’s preparations for a large-scale assault, including hostage-taking and attacks on military positions. Despite this, the warnings were not adequately acted upon.
In response to the attack, Israel launched a retaliatory offensive against Hamas in Gaza, resulting in over 41,118 deaths, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and the UN rights office. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has postponed any official inquiry into the intelligence lapses until the ongoing conflict is resolved.
