Supreme Court Allows Naming of Gaza Division Intelligence Officer Held Responsible for Oct. 7 Failures

Israel's Supreme Court has permitted the publication of the name of Lt. Col. Aryeh Amidaror, who served as the intelligence officer for the Gaza Division during the October 7th Hamas attack. Amidaror, son of retired Major General Yaakov Amidaror, had been engaged in a legal battle to prevent the end of his military service and the disclosure of his identity.

Amidaror's military service was terminated following a prolonged administrative and legal process. The Chief of Staff had previously determined that he bore command responsibility for the failures preceding the October 7th massacre. For months, his identity was concealed, referred to only as "Lt. Col. A.", due to legal proceedings and gag orders.

During his tenure, which began in May 2023, Amidaror was exposed to Hamas's "Jericho Wall" attack plan, which bore significant similarities to the actual events of October 7th. Despite warnings from an expert in Unit 8200 about Hamas practicing maneuvers resembling this plan, threat assessments did not change substantially, nor was readiness increased in the sector.

Subsequent investigations highlighted deep gaps in identifying Hamas's evolving intentions. Amidaror's actions on the night of October 6th-7th were scrutinized; he reportedly arrived at the division's Re'im base but did not order an increase in alert levels or notify all relevant forces. A post-war expert committee found significant failures in intelligence processes and threat escalation within the division.

Amidaror contested the army's authority to terminate his service based on professional and command failures. However, in June, his claims were rejected, and it was ruled that the IDF could initiate service termination for an officer due to such failures. The state had also argued that there was no longer a security impediment to publishing his name, and the court determined that the public interest outweighed other considerations.