Senior Shin Bet Commander Feared Hamas Capture on October 7

A senior commander in Israel's internal security agency, the Shin Bet, residing in a kibbutz near the Gaza border, faced a critical rescue operation on October 7 due to fears she might be captured by Hamas. The situation was deemed so severe that active measures were considered to prevent her falling into enemy hands, with one operative stating, "If I fall into captivity, it is clear to everyone that I must be killed."

Details of the dramatic events were revealed in a report by Keshet 12, featuring testimonies from senior Shin Bet officials and an active operative from the "Tequila" team. The operative described the intense dilemma of prioritizing rescue efforts amidst the chaos of the Hamas attack.

According to a former head of the Shin Bet's southern region, the commander was considered a "necessary asset to rescue," akin to the potential capture of a high-ranking military intelligence officer. Her extensive knowledge and familiarity with sensitive information made her capture a significant potential intelligence loss for Israel.

Despite the urgency to extract the commander, the rescue teams were simultaneously tasked with saving families fighting for their lives against terrorists attempting to breach their safe rooms. The operative emphasized that while the commander's extraction was a priority, it could not come before rescuing the families under immediate threat, stating, "We are fighting for people's lives first and foremost."