The commander of Israel's elite intelligence Unit 8200, Brig. Gen. Yossi Sariel, resigned on Thursday, accepting responsibility for the unit’s failure in the October 7 Hamas attack. His resignation follows that of IDF Chief Intelligence Officer Aharon Haliva in April.
In a letter to his subordinates, Sariel admitted that Unit 8200 failed to deliver the critical intelligence expected. "Despite the information regarding Hamas's plans, we were unable to break through our basic conceptions," he wrote, adding that he had been struggling with questions about the root causes of the failure since the attack. "The failure of Unit 8200 is entirely on me, and I am deeply sorry."
The world-renowned intelligence unit has faced criticism for relying too heavily on advanced technology, allegedly neglecting traditional intelligence-gathering methods. Although tasked with monitoring communications and identifying potential attacks, the unit failed to recognize signs that Hamas was preparing for the deadly assault.
An investigation into Unit 8200's conduct has been launched, with findings expected next month, just ahead of the one-year anniversary of the massacre.
Despite the recent criticism, Unit 8200 veterans remain highly sought after by high-tech firms and venture capital funds worldwide, particularly for their cybersecurity expertise. Alumni of the unit have founded numerous successful tech companies, with five publicly traded in the U.S., collectively valued at $160 billion.