Resignation waves continue as Israeli intelligence unit commander steps down over Oct. 7 events

JERUSALEM

The commander of the Israeli army's intelligence and surveillance unit has stepped down after accepting responsibility for failing to prevent an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 of last year, local media reported on Thursday.

Brigadier General Yossi Sariel, commander of the Israeli army intelligence's Unit 8200, informed Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi of his decision to resign, accepting responsibility for the events of Oct. 7, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

Sariel is one of seven top officials, including the Israeli army’s senior officials, who resigned after facing criticism from various quarters for failing to protect people during the Hamas incursions.

Sariel was appointed as the unit commander in February 2021, the Israeli website Walla said.

In the last three months, the Israeli army's Gaza Division commander, Brigadier General Avi Rosenfeld, the head of the Shin Bet security agency's Southern District, and an intelligence officer in the Gaza division have all resigned for the same reason.

On Sept. 3, Tamir Yadai, the chief of the Israeli army's ground forces, resigned for "personal reasons" after three years in the position.

Major General Aharon Haliva, head of the Israeli army's Military Intelligence Directorate, resigned on April 22 after failing to anticipate the Palestinian group Hamas' attack on Israel.

Brigadier General Amit Saar, head of the Military Intelligence Directorate's Research Division, resigned in the first week of February "due to personal reasons, unrelated to the unit's failure to sound the alarm about the Oct. 7 attack, but over illness," according to media reports.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack last October despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 41,100 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and over 95,100 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.​​​​​​​

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul