During the resignation ceremony of the former Israeli military intelligence unit Aman, the new head of the unit, Shlomi Bender, said that the "severe failure and the heavy price we paid" during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7 "will remain etched in my bones forever."

Bender stated that the occupation is in a "long and harsh war," which he expects to expand. He called for continued efforts and increased preparedness for its potential escalation, particularly on the northern front of occupied Palestine.

Bender also reiterated his call to continue efforts to secure the release of the 109 Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, deeming it an "urgent national mission."

At his resignation ceremony on Wednesday, the Israeli outgoing Aman chief Aharon Haliva accepted responsibility for the Israeli failures on October 7.

Haliva said that he would carry the "shame of October 7 for the rest of his life," acknowledging his failure to fulfill his duty of providing a war warning.

Haliva took full responsibility for Aman's failure during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, emphasizing that his resignation is part of his acceptance of responsibility for the failure.

He called for the establishment of an official investigative committee to uncover the reasons behind the outbreak of the war, the failure of military and intelligence agencies to predict and respond to it, and to draw lessons to ensure that "what happened will not be repeated."

The Israeli Army Radio reported that Aman chief Aharon Haliva will complete his duties next Wednesday, four months after announcing his resignation. He is one of the first Israeli military figures to resign from his position in the wake of Al-Aqsa Flood.

New head of Aman

General Shlomi Bender will assume the position of the new head of the Intelligence Division after previously serving as the head of the Operations Division.

The appointment of Bender as the new head of Aman on May 2, 2024, following Haliva, sparked widespread controversy in Israeli media and among its officials. This decision was made despite repeated calls for Bender to be at the center of investigations concerning the Israeli failure to anticipate the Al-Aqsa Flood operation.

Bender had ordered the withdrawal of his occupation troops from the Gaza perimeter and relocated them to the West Bank just hours before the start of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation. According to Israeli media, this indicates the absence of any intelligence within the Israeli occupation forces regarding the preparations by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, for the operation.

In this context, Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dismiss Security Minister Yoav Gallant after he approved Bender's appointment. Ben Gvir argued that Gallant lacked the mandate to make such appointments, saying he was "no longer qualified to continue his duties."