IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has decided to dismiss Lieutenant Colonel A., who served as the intelligence officer for the Gaza Division during Hamas's October 7th, 2023, surprise attack.
LTC A. is the individual who chose to ignore repetitive warnings that he received from the unit's intelligence non-commissioned officer, V., who described scenarios of massive infiltrations and an attack on the area's communities.
The officer rejected her warnings, claimed that they were "imaginative," and explained that Hamas's conduct on the border was merely "showing off."
Despite the findings of the inquiries into the attack and the fact that his appointment to Unit 9900 was canceled in January, LTC A. was recently appointed again to a position, this time as desk chief in the office of the Chief Intelligence Officer.
A renewed wave of criticism arose after it was revealed that the officer continues to frequent intelligence bases, attend meetings, and receive a military salary.
Sources with knowledge on the matter told the army radio station Galei Tzahal that "he refuses to go home, many people tried to show him out and he refused, he wants to remain in the military."
In August 2024, A. stepped down from his post in the Gaza Division early, per his request. After taking an extensive leave, then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Intelligence Directorate Chief Shlomi Binder decided to appoint him as a project manager in Unit 9900 of the Intelligence Directorate. The appointment was suspended due to public pressure. Current Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has now decided to terminate his service.