Oct 16, 2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
Tel Aviv.
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 ) 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.
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