TEL AVIV, October 16. /TASS/. Director of Israel’s Security Agency Ronen Bar has taken responsibility for the body’s failure to predict the October 7 Hamas attack on the country's territory, he stated in a letter, excerpts of which are quoted by the Ynet portal.
"As the person who runs the organization, [I acknowledge]: the responsibility is on me," he wrote.
Bar stated that the service failed to anticipate the attack, despite numerous preventive measures. "Despite a number of measures that we took, unfortunately, on Saturday (October 7 - TASS) we were not able to see enough warning so as to allow us to prevent the attack," the head of the service admitted.
That being said, Bar believes the country should focus on fighting the enemy now, and investigations into the causes of what happened can come later. "There will be a time for investigations, [but] right now we are fighting. Our people have shown bravery, courage and fighting spirit," he said.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at the opening of the winter parliamentary session, recognized that the country's authorities had made mistakes that led to the Hamas attack and promised to investigate all the circumstances of the incident. However, he emphasized that the country is currently focused on military action and is directing all efforts to defeat the Hamas Palestinian radicals.
Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank. More than 2,800 Palestinians have been killed in clashes and strikes, while over 10,900 have suffered wounds since the renewed outbreak of violence began. In Israel, more than 1,500 people have lost their lives and over 4,000 have been wounded.