Court Lifts Gag Order on Gaza Division Intelligence Officer from October 7

A court has ruled to lift a publication ban on the identity of the Gaza Division's intelligence officer on October 7, identifying the officer as Lieutenant Colonel Aryeh Amidor. Amidor, son of retired Major General Yaakov Amidor, a former National Security Advisor, was removed from his post following investigations into the events of that day. His name had been suppressed at his request due to his continued service in the military's intelligence corps.

The Administrative Affairs Court stated that given the unusual extent of prior public reporting and the public interest in revealing the identity of the officer responsible for intelligence in the Gaza Division on October 7, publication is warranted. The court noted that despite his professional failure leading to his requested dismissal, the public interest in this unprecedented national disaster outweighs his privacy concerns, especially considering the widespread leaks.

Amidor was slated to finish his role in January 2025 but remains in the army. In November 2023, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir announced disciplinary actions against senior commanders responsible for the October 7 failures, including Amidor. A special inquiry team, led by Major General (res.) Sami Turgeman, concluded that the October 7 events stemmed from a "long-standing systemic and organizational failure" and that the IDF possessed "high-quality and unusual intelligence" prior to the attack, which, if properly analyzed, should have led to a significant warning.