IANS | 22 Apr, 2024
The head of military intelligence, Major General Aharon Haliva, has resigned, the Israeli army announced on Monday.
The army said that Haliva wanted to fulfil his leadership responsibilities following the "events of October 7."
Militants
from the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement and other groups murdered
more than 1,200 people in their massacre on October 7 last year and
abducted around 250 and took them to the Gaza Strip.
Israel's
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant agreed to the request for his
resignation. According to military sources, he will also leave the army
as soon as a successor is found.
It was initially unclear
exactly when this would be. Haliva wrote in a letter that the
intelligence department had failed to fulfil the task entrusted to it.
Haliva
said shortly afterwards that he bore responsibility for the mistakes
that led to the terrorist attack. In order to clear up these mistakes,
he also called for the establishment of a state committee of enquiry.
Israel
responded to the massacre with massive airstrikes and a ground
offensive in the Gaza Strip. In view of the high number of civilian
casualties, more than 33,000 according to Hamas health authorities, and
the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, Israel is being
increasingly criticized internationally.