Overview

• Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency, has admitted to significant failures in preventing the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that left over 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken hostage.
• The agency's report highlights mismanagement of intelligence on Hamas' plans and an overreliance on border security infrastructure and military readiness.
• Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar took personal responsibility for the failures, stating, 'We are failed,' but has not resigned from his position.
• The report criticizes a 'policy of calm' that allowed Hamas to strengthen militarily, including the flow of Qatari funds approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
• Netanyahu has faced calls for a state inquiry into the events but has resisted, while his allies have deflected blame onto Shin Bet leadership.