Jerusalem: Israel’s Shin Bet security agency has acknowledged its failure in preventing Hamas’ October 7 attack, admitting it overlooked key warning signs. The agency’s director, Ronen Bar, stated that had Shin Bet acted differently in previous years and on the night of the assault, the devastating attack could have been averted.
Bar described the failure as a burden he would carry for life. The agency’s internal investigation, summarized in a report released Tuesday, cited multiple factors that enabled Hamas to execute the deadly assault. These included Israel’s approval of Qatari financial aid to Hamas, which was intended to create a political divide between Gaza and the West Bank but ultimately strengthened the militant group.
Despite prior intelligence on Hamas’ operational plans—first identified in 2018 and later in 2022—Shin Bet did not perceive them as imminent threats. The agency acknowledged significant gaps in intelligence gathering, particularly in recruiting and handling informants in Gaza, and a lack of clarity regarding responsibility between Shin Bet and the military in detecting an impending attack.
The October 7 assault resulted in over 1,200 deaths and the capture of 251 hostages, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in Israel’s history. Shin Bet’s report comes days after a similar investigation by the Israeli military, which pointed to systemic intelligence failures and flawed assumptions about Hamas.
While taking responsibility for its own shortcomings, Shin Bet also attributed part of the blame to government policies under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The agency cited factors such as Israeli politicians’ visits to the Al Aqsa compound in Jerusalem, the treatment of Palestinian prisoners, and perceptions of societal divisions within Israel as contributing to Hamas’ decision to strike.
Netanyahu’s office dismissed the agency’s findings, with a senior source close to the prime minister calling the conclusions insufficient and criticizing Shin Bet for failing to wake Netanyahu on the night of the attack. Netanyahu’s camp has recently intensified criticism of the agency, especially following reports that Shin Bet is investigating individuals in the prime minister’s office over alleged lobbying efforts for Qatar—claims his office denies.
Following these tensions, Netanyahu removed Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and Mossad head David Barnea from negotiations with Hamas.
Opposition leaders slammed Netanyahu’s handling of the crisis, accusing him of deflecting blame. Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition, urged Netanyahu to take responsibility, while former defense minister Benny Gantz criticized the prime minister for attacking Shin Bet instead of owning up to his government’s failures.
