Senior Shin Bet Official Recounts Oct. 7 Horrors, Daughter's Murder

Mira Shoshani, a senior official in Israel's Shin Bet security agency, has spoken out about the devastating events of October 7th, detailing the loss of her daughter, Ofir, during the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Kfar Aza. Shoshani, who was responsible for operations against Hamas leaders abroad, described the unprecedented scale of the assault and the personal tragedy that unfolded as her husband, Shi, attempted to rescue their daughter from her room in the Dor Ha'ir neighborhood of the kibbutz.

Shoshani recounted the moments of confusion and terror as the attack began, initially mistaking the intense rocket fire for a drill. She described her desperate attempts to communicate with Ofir, who was trapped in her room, and her husband's heroic but ultimately fatal attempt to reach her. Shi was wounded during his rescue attempt and later extracted by military forces. Ofir was killed in her room.

Speaking about the Shin Bet's failure to anticipate and prevent the attack, Shoshani expressed deep personal and professional anguish. She admitted to being part of the intelligence consensus that underestimated Hamas and acknowledged the immense difficulty of piecing together intelligence to prevent such a catastrophe. She also addressed criticism and accusations of betrayal leveled against the Shin Bet, defending the agency's actions and the immense personal cost paid by its personnel.

Shoshani shared her profound grief and guilt over not being able to save her daughter, despite her extensive experience in security operations. She described her final conversations with Ofir, who remained remarkably calm even as the situation deteriorated. Shoshani is now channeling her efforts into establishing the "Ofir Center for Leadership" to honor her daughter's memory and train emergency commanders, aiming to ensure that such a failure never happens again.