Israeli security chief takes blame for failure to stop Hamas attack

Ronen Bahr, 57, has led the Shin Bet, the equivalent of MI5 or the FBI, since 2021. Photo: ABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE /Shutterstock

The head of Israeli intelligence took personal responsibility for allowing Hamas terrorists to attack the country.

Ronen Bar said that the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Beth) failed to prevent the invasion, and that as the head of the organization he was to blame.

Mr. Bar said that the Shin Bet would investigate the violation, but only after the end of the war.

B In a statement, he said that: “Despite a number of actions we took, unfortunately, on Saturday we were unable to generate sufficient warning that would have prevented the attack.

“As the one who heads the organization, I bear the responsibility responsibility for this. There will be time to investigate. Now we fight.»

According to some reports, a few hours before the terrorist attack on October 7, the Israeli military recorded unusual movement in the Gaza Strip.

This was enough to provoke the attack. Reports say there was a late-night telephone conversation between officials. It is unclear exactly what steps were taken following these calls.

The Times of Israel reported that Hebrew media reports claimed that Mr. Bar went to the agency's headquarters and ordered a small team to be sent to the Gaza Strip border. This appears to be the scenario Mr. Bahr had in mind in his comments on Monday.

In any case Hamas was able to launch its stunning, unprecedented attack, which killed more than 1,300 Israelis and wounded more than 3,000. Up to 2,700 people were reported killed in the Gaza Strip.

Bar, 57, was appointed director of the Shin Bet. equivalent to MI5 or FBI, in 2021.

He made his comments in a letter to colleagues, at least ten of whom were killed in the attacks. .

“We are fighting a war, not a round [of fighting]. The round you win with a victory picture and silence; the war ends with a decisive victory and a change in the situation,” he added. “There are no boundaries, no time limits. Until the very end.»

Mr. Bar joined the Israel Security Agency (ISA), better known by its Hebrew acronym Shin Bet, after serving in the intelligence unit of the Israel Defense Forces General Staff.

< p >He is said to have served in the elite Sayeret Matkal intelligence-gathering field unit, tasked with conducting intelligence operations behind the lines.

“Ronen is a brave fighter and a courageous commander who, throughout dedicated his life to the highest mission — protecting the security of Israel. He risked his life more than once for the sake of his homeland,” then-Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the time.