Israeli Military Intelligence chief resigns after October 7 failure

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
4 Apr 2024 11:21
3 Shares

Amit Sa'ar resigns from his position as head of Aman's Research Division, citing "personal reasons".

Palestinians stand triumphantly over an Israeli Merkava tank, after Resistance fighters had disabled it and taken its crewmembers captive, near the "Separation Fence", to the east of Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip, Palestine, on October 7, 2023. (AP)

The head of the Military Intelligence Directorate's (Aman) Research Division, Brigadier General Amit Saar, has formally handed in his resignation letter, citing personal reasons, Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported on Thursday morning.

According to Israeli reports, Saar cited his cancer illness as the reason for his early resignation.

Brigadier General Saar is expected to officially step down in a few days after he discusses the decision with Israeli Chief-of-Staff Herzi Halevi and Aharon Ahliva, the head of Aman. According to the Israeli media outlet, the IOF will not appoint a permanent replacement but rather resort to an interim chief.

It is worth noting the IOF's chief has faced backlash from the political command for shifting and promoting officers within the occupation military structure.

The head of the Research Division had been serving in the position since October 2020, however, the start of his third year was marked with arguably the worst Israeli intelligence and military "catastrophe". Israeli authorities have pushed the majority of the blame for the failure to intercept the events of October 7, 2023, on intelligence officials. Saar himself previously expressed his readiness to relinquish his duties once the Israeli war on Gaza concluded, and his reported resignation has hastened the process.

Israel Hayom says that Saar is considered to be an expert on the "Palestinian arena" with a specialty in Hamas' affairs in Gaza, marking the gravity of his department's assessment of the situation.

At least two others left their positions vacant in the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate, including Colonel A, who was dismissed for allegedly having a relationship with a subordinate officer, and a Lieutenant Colonel who asked to end his role.

It is worth noting that both officers served in Aman's Southern Command, which was the faction most hard hit by the Palestinian Resistance-launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.