The Shin Bet security service’s internal report reveals critical intelligence failures and blames Israeli leadership, particularly Netanyahu, for ignoring warnings about the Hamas threat leading to the October 7 attack.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Tuesday that the Shin Bet security service had completed its internal inquiry into the agency’s critical failures that contributed to the attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The investigation revealed a series of significant lapses, the most serious of which was the Shin Bet’s failure to provide timely and appropriate warnings regarding Hamas’ preparations for the attack, which occurred the night before.
The Shin Beit’s probe admitted to failing in its primary responsibility to prevent such an attack, despite identifying the threat posed by Hamas.
Despite acknowledging his role in the agency’s failures, Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar has made it clear that he does not intend to resign.
According to Haaretz, Bar “will apparently fight Netanyahu’s efforts to dismiss him.”
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The inquiry also pointed to systemic issues in the Shin Bet’s structure and approach to intelligence-gathering, particularly in Gaza. The agency’s failures were seen as a reflection of broader problems, including poor coordination with other intelligence agencies such as Military Intelligence’s Unit 8200.
According to Haaretz, while the Shin Bet’s internal inquiry highlighted these failures, it also made an important connection to Israeli policy in Gaza, which it argued had contributed to the intelligence breakdown.
The inquiry, though critical of the agency’s performance, also pointed a finger at Israeli leadership, especially at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who served as the country’s leader for much of the period leading up to the attack.
“The inquiry also pointed an accusing finger at Israeli policy in the Gaza Strip, and to a large extent, this accusation was directed at the government, and especially at Benjamin Netanyahu, who was prime minister for 13 of the 15 years before” the attack, according to the report.
The Shin Bet investigation noted that Netanyahu had been repeatedly warned by senior officials within the agency, including Bar, of the growing threat from Hamas. Yet, these warnings were largely ignored or dismissed.
“Bar warned that Hamas hadn’t been deterred by Israel, contrary to the view of Netanyahu, Halevi, Halevi’s predecessor Aviv Kochavi and senior MI officers,” the report stated, adding that “the Shin Bet also opposed Netanyahu’s divide-and-rule policy between Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.”
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In one particularly case, the Shin Bet report found that some agents failed to take action despite clear warning signs, such as the activation of Israeli SIM cards on Hamas-controlled cellphones.
“One key agent lied when asked about the worrying signs that were piling up on the fateful night,” the inquiry noted.
Additionally, the report found that agents were not properly questioned about other concerning information that was received in the hours leading up to the attack.
Former senior Shin Bet officials have criticized the agency’s focus on technology over human intelligence (HUMINT), a shift that they argue contributed to the failure to detect and prevent the attack.
The findings of the Shin Bet inquiry also mirrored many of the conclusions drawn by an investigation conducted by the Israeli army, though the two agencies did not reportedly coordinate their inquiries.
According to Haaretz, the two investigations shared many overlapping conclusions, particularly regarding the Shin Bet’s failure to adequately address the threat from Hamas and the agency’s lack of coordination with other intelligence services.
Although Netanyahu has accepted some responsibility for the security failures leading to October 7, he has largely resisted calls for a state commission of inquiry into the incident.
Netanyahu “is fighting to prevent the establishment of a state commission of inquiry by any means possible. On Monday, he devoted a significant part of his speech in the Knesset to an agitated attack on an independent investigation,” Haaret reported.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
