The Israeli army has said that the head of an elite intelligence unit will resign over the failure to prevent Hamas’ October 7 attack, AFP reports.

“The commander of the 8200 unit, (Brigadier General) Yossi Sariel, has informed his commanders and subordinates of his intention to end his position,” the army said in a statement.

“The officer will conclude his role in the near future.” The prestigious and secretive Unit 8200 is in charge of decoding and analysing intercepts and other signals intelligence.

In the wake of October 7, Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate was thrown into a crisis that led to its commander, Major General Aharon Haliva, announcing his resignation in April 2024.

The army said then that Haliva had asked to be relieved of his duties for the directorate’s failure to foil the October 7 attack.

Israeli media broadcast a copy of Sariel’s resignation letter in which he asked for “forgiveness” for “not fulfilling the mission we were entrusted with” on October 7.