"The Entire Responsibility is on My Shoulders": Head of Israeli Intelligence Acknowledges Errors

The head of Israel's Shin Bet security agency, Ronen Bar, has taken personal responsibility for the failure to prevent an attack by Hamas militants on the country. He conveyed this in a letter directed to the agency's operatives and their families. "Despite a number of measures we undertook, unfortunately, we were unable to prevent the attack. The responsibility falls on me, as the head of the service," excerpts from the letter are quoted by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronot.

Bar noted that the time for an appropriate investigation will come, but for now, Israel is at war and must fight. He also stated that this war will continue until Israel achieves victory: "There are no restrictions... We will go until the end." Earlier, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi, had admitted that military personnel failed to fulfill their duties during the Hamas assault. "The Israeli Defense Forces are responsible for the safety of the country and its citizens. And on Saturday [October 7], we were unable to perform our duties in communities bordering the Gaza Strip. We will find out why this happened, but now is the time to fight," Halevi said on October 12.