Israel's Top General Resigns After Hamas War: "I Will Take Responsibility for Defense Failure"

Concerns Over Mass Resignations Following Information Director's Departure
Responsibility Debate Emerges Around Netanyahu Administration

On the 22nd (local time), Aharon Haliva, the Director of Military Intelligence of Israel, who resigned. [Image source=Israel Defense Forces (IDF)]

A senior Israeli military officer has expressed his intention to resign for the first time since the clashes with Hamas, causing significant tension not only within the Israeli military but also in the political sphere. As further resignations of generals are expected, accountability issues regarding the Benjamin Netanyahu administration are anticipated to intensify.

According to the Times of Israel on the 22nd (local time), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced in a statement that "Aharon Haliva, head of Military Intelligence, has expressed his intention to resign. He will leave his post once a successor is appointed." This is the first time a high-ranking general has directly expressed a desire to resign since the outbreak of hostilities with Hamas in October last year.

Haliva is reported to have resigned taking responsibility for failing to prevent Hamas's incursion into the southern border area. Previously, on October 7th last year, Hamas infiltrated the southern border region of Israel, killing over 1,200 civilians including children and abducting around 250 hostages. The war between Israel and Hamas that followed has been ongoing for seven months.

In his resignation letter, Haliva stated, "As the head of Military Intelligence, I failed to properly fulfill my duties," and added, "I will carry the terrible pain of this war forever." Although he had expressed a sense of responsibility since the war began, he continued to perform his duties until a successor was appointed. The Times of Israel reported that since last month, as the military investigation into the circumstances of the Hamas incursion began, he had been under pressure to resign.

Following his resignation, it is expected that other senior generals will resign one after another. Previously, Ronen Bar, head of Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, and Herzi Halevi, IDF Chief of Staff, also expressed deep regret over the failure to defend against the incursion. If many military officials resign simultaneously along with them, concerns about a security vacuum during wartime are emerging.

With the resignation of a senior military official, accountability issues regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu and the war cabinet are once again coming to the forefront. Last November, Netanyahu acknowledged the responsibility issue by stating, "After the war ends, everyone including myself will be subject to investigation," but he refused to resign, asserting, "I will throw Hamas into the dustbin of history, and it is my responsibility to end this."