Court Allows Naming Officer Who Served in Gaza Division on October 7

Israel's Supreme Court has permitted the publication of the name of Lieutenant Colonel Aryeh Amidor, who served as the intelligence officer for the Gaza Division on October 7, 2023. Amidor had appealed the decision to lift a gag order on his name, arguing that its publication would expose him to security risks and violate his privacy. He is the son of Yaakov Amidor, a commentator on the war.

The court acknowledged the conflict between national security, the officer's personal safety and privacy, and the public's right to know. Initially, security officials opposed publication, citing regulations against revealing the identities of intelligence personnel. However, their stance evolved, and they eventually concluded there was no security impediment to publishing Amidor's name in connection with his role as intelligence officer for the Gaza Division during the October 7 events.

Amidor argued that the updated decision was not made by the authorized bodies within the IDF, specifically the Information Security Department (Makhbam) and Operations Directorate (Amatz). He requested the court investigate the reasons for the change in the security establishment's position and verify the authority behind the new decision. He also sought to delay the publication until his discharge from the IDF around December of this year.

Despite nearly three years having passed since the Hamas attack and nearly a year since the Chief of Staff reportedly decided to dismiss him, Amidor continues to serve in a role within the cyber defense system, which had allowed him to remain publicly anonymous. Sources within the IDF indicated that all of Amidor's commanders have been dismissed from service. Many in the military reportedly believe he failed significantly in his conduct before and during the initial days of the October 7 attack, with some suggesting his negligence contributed to the IDF's failure to prevent or disrupt Hamas's assault.