Mossad Chief Orders Senior Officer's Departure Amid 7/10 Fallout

Mossad Director David Barnea has decided that Brigadier General G., formerly head of Aman's Operations Directorate, will leave his position within the intelligence agency and will not continue serving in Israel's security establishment. Brigadier General G. was "loaned" to the Mossad after his career in the IDF stalled due to his role in the October 7th failures, and he has since packed his belongings and departed the organization.

Brigadier General G.'s tenure at the Mossad followed a decision by then-IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and then-Mossad Director David Barnea in November to have him leave his role within two months, citing his failures on October 7th. He had previously attempted to be appointed commander of Unit 8200 but was unsuccessful, leading to his loan to the Mossad.

The decision by Barnea comes after concerns arose regarding the relationship between Barnea and Brigadier General G. Just over three months ago, Barnea's appointment as Mossad chief was contingent on Brigadier General G. submitting an affidavit to the High Court of Justice. This affidavit was to address whether Barnea had been truthful about his involvement in the case of Uri Almikais, a teenager who was allegedly operated on. Brigadier General G., who had spoken with Barnea about the matter in real-time as head of the Operations Directorate, submitted an affidavit that fully supported Barnea's account, paving the way for his appointment.

Despite the November agreement for Brigadier General G.'s departure, Barnea initially sought to keep him in the organization. He independently contacted retired Major General Sami Turjeman, who conducted the IDF's inquiries into the failures, without informing anyone else in the Mossad. During a conversation two weeks ago, Barnea asked Turjeman for his opinion on the officer. Turjeman expressed surprise at the inquiry, noting that the officer's departure had already been agreed upon and stated that while he did not dismiss the officer, "his responsibility for the failure cannot be underestimated."

On Tuesday, Barnea met with Brigadier General G. at the Mossad headquarters and informed him that his loan period would not be extended and he would not continue serving in the security system. This action appears to address concerns that Barnea might "repay" the officer for the affidavit that facilitated his appointment.