Military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, said that Israel faced an intelligence, military and political failure in the first hours of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” attack, similar to what happened in the October 6, 1973 war.
Al-Duwairi’s statement came in response to Major General Yossi Shariel, commander of the Israeli Intelligence Unit 8200, informing the Chief of Staff of the Occupation Army, Herzi Halevi, of his resignation from his position, due to the unit’s failure to provide early warning of the attack on October 7.
Although Israel has witnessed in its history the resignation of political and military officials and the formation of specialized investigation committees following any security disaster, what happened in the “Al-Aqsa Flood” was a disaster of a very large magnitude, according to Al-Duwairi.
He pointed out that a wide range of Israeli officials announced that they bear responsibility for this, whether in whole or in part, with the exception of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Unit 8200
Regarding the importance of Unit 8200, the strategic expert said that it represents the main nerve of the Israeli external security system, and controls military centers and bases in the north and south. Its main headquarters is in Tel Aviv, and intelligence groups from supporting countries are affiliated with it.
He added that its mission is to collect intelligence, analyze it and present it with a forward-looking reading of what it indicates, “so it bears a great burden due to failure.”
Al-Duwairi pointed out that the October 7, 2023 attack plan had reached the Israeli authorities, noting that considering it a maneuver and not an operational plan was a turning point in Israeli analyses.
The military expert recalled what happened in the October 6, 1973 war, when the Chief of Staff of the Israeli occupation army, Haim Bar-Lev, recommended transferring the officer who passed on the information about the Egyptian army crossing the Suez Canal, considering him to be suffering from obsession.
He concluded that overconfidence and underestimating the other party’s capabilities led to what happened on October 6, 1973 and October 7, 2023.