The IDF military censor permitted publication this morning (Wednesday) that the intelligence officer of the Southern Command during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 was Lt. Col. Ariel Levovsky.
Until now his name was banned from publication due to his status as an intelligence officer, but after his release from the IDF the restriction was lifted.
Lt. Col. Levovsky served as the Southern Command intelligence officer in the period before the attack. He was among the officers who were exposed to the 'Wall of Jericho' plan, the Hamas codename for a large invasion of Israel. He was among the decision-makers who regarded the information as an exercise or a move that did not constitute a threat.
Months after the outbreak of the war, Levovsky was dismissed from his position due to an improper intimate relationship he had with a female officer in the command's intelligence branch.
The relationship took place after the start of the fighting, and the dismissal was carried out because of that relationship - not for his role in the intelligence failure.
After his dismissal, the chief of staff at the time, Herzi Halevi, approved Levovsky's transfer on loan to the National Cyber Directorate in order to accrue pension rights. He served in that position until his discharge from the IDF recently.
The decision not to remove the officer from the army sparked extensive criticism among officers in the IDF and among bereaved families.
The Gaza Division intelligence officer at that time continues to serve as an officer in the Intelligence Directorate. After the events he was placed in a post at the Chief Intelligence Officer's command, and his name is still prohibited from publication.