IDF Intelligence chief acknowledges Oct. 7 failures, vows to fulfill mission

Brig.-Gen. A., the new commander of the IDF Intelligence Operations Division, has directly addressed the intelligence failures preceding the October 7 attacks. In his inaugural speech, he stated, "On the morning of Simchat Torah, October 7, the Intelligence Division failed in its most important mission, to warn of war, and thus failed to fulfill its mission as the first line of defense of the State of Israel." He stressed the critical importance of remembering this failure and acting with the awareness that similar events could occur on their watch. "It is our duty to remember the failure, to act with the knowledge that it could also happen on our watch, and to continue the work of correction and assimilation of the lessons," he added. Brig.-Gen. A. also highlighted the current context of a "long and challenging war" that has inflicted a heavy toll, with over 2,000 fallen soldiers and thousands more wounded. He described the conflict as having begun with a "conceptual, intelligence, and operational failure." Major-General Shlomi Binder, the IDF's Intelligence chief, welcomed Brig.-Gen. A., calling him "the best of the best" and expressing confidence in his ability to lead the division through turbulent times. Outgoing head Brig.-Gen. Meni Liberty also praised his successor, noting his experience in commanding "bold and dangerous operations."

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On the morning of Simchat Torah, October 7, the Intelligence Division failed in its most important mission, to warn of war, and thus failed to fulfill its mission as the first line of defense of the State of Israel.