In connection with the Hamas attack on October 7th, the director of Israeli military intelligence became the first senior military officer to resign. Meanwhile, an Israeli offensive in Rafah appears to be imminent.
The director of Israel’s military intelligence, Aharon Haliva, has resigned over mistakes related to the major Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The Israeli army announced this. As soon as a successor is appointed, Haliva will be relieved of his post and resign from the army.
Haliva is the first senior Israeli official to resign from office because of the extremists’ major attack that killed around 1,200 people. Shortly after the terrorist attack, he had already admitted responsibility for the failure to prevent the attack that broke through Israel’s highly armed defenses.
In his letter of resignation he stated that under his command the intelligence service had not lived up to the tasks assigned to it. “I have carried this black day with me ever since, day after day, night after night. I will carry the pain with me forever.”
Is Rafah offensive imminent?
Meanwhile, Israel wants to increase pressure on the terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which was primarily responsible for the terrorist attack on October 7th. Observers expect an imminent offensive against the city of Rafah on the Egyptian border.
According to army spokesman Daniel Hagari, Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi approved “further steps” to continue the war on Sunday evening. The Israeli Kan broadcaster reported that part of the plans was a military operation in Rafah. An evacuation of the civilian population there is apparently expected shortly.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also announced “further painful blows” against Hamas at short notice in a video address on the Jewish Passover holiday, which begins on Monday evening.
Israel’s allies had warned urgently in recent weeks against an offensive in Rafah because hundreds of thousands of Palestinian internally displaced people are crowding there. However, Israel believes an operation is necessary to destroy the remaining Hamas battalions. Otherwise it could get stronger again.
Herzog: US sanctions would be a “big mistake”
At the same time, according to a report in the Times of Israel newspaper, the Israeli government has called on the US to reconsider its apparent plans to sanction an Israeli military battalion. Sanctions against the largely ultra-Orthodox battalion would not only damage Israel’s international legitimacy in the fight against the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip, but there would be no justification for the US to do so, Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, said in an interview with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
According to media reports, Blinken announced on Friday that he would impose punitive measures against an Israeli army unit in the coming days. According to Israeli and US media, the unit is the Netzach Yehuda Battalion, in which mostly ultra-Orthodox soldiers serve.
Israeli President Izchak Herzog also strongly warned the US government against imposing sanctions. “That would be a big mistake,” said Herzog in an interview with Axel Springer Group newspapers.