Disgraced Gaza Division Intel Officer Aryeh Amidror Fired for Failures Before Oct. 7

The name of Lieutenant Colonel Aryeh Amidror, an intelligence officer for the Gaza Division, was cleared for publication on Thursday, October 1. He was dismissed from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) due to "glaring failures" preceding the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. Colleagues described Amidror as "one of the calmest" on the night of October 7. Around 5 a.m. that morning, when Southern Military District Commander Yaron Finkelman inquired about increasing readiness due to intelligence on Hamas "Nukhba" operatives activating SIM cards, Amidror stated there was no cause for concern.

According to a former intelligence operative quoted by "A-Yom," Amidror "excelled at catering to his superiors' desires" and knew precisely what they wanted to hear. Amidror, son of Major General Yaakov Amidror, a former head of the National Security Council, was considered a brilliant officer throughout his career. He later served as intelligence officer for the Samaria Brigade before assuming his role in the Gaza Division in spring 2023.

Despite positive professional evaluations from commanders, subordinates criticized Amidror as arrogant and dismissive of differing opinions. A female soldier from Unit 8200, identified as "V.," had expressed concerns in 2018 about Hamas's "Jericho Wall" invasion plan, warning it was an active operational plan, not a distant future scenario. Amidror dismissed her findings via email, calling it Hamas "showmanship" and did not relay the information to senior Aman or Unit 8200 officials.

Amidror reportedly controlled a significant portion of intelligence regarding Hamas's offensive intentions, having access to the most sensitive information from Hamas's clandestine sources, in addition to data from observers and other divisional assets. A former senior IDF officer stated, "He knew more than everyone else, and thought he knew better than everyone else."

In September, the head of the IDF's Manpower Directorate announced the dismissal of Lieutenant Colonel "A.", the former head of Gaza Division intelligence on October 7, whose name was then withheld. He was dismissed for professional and officer responsibility for the October 7 failures after a months-long legal battle to contest his dismissal. Lieutenant Colonel Aryeh Amidror was among the commanders identified by the Chief of Staff as bearing direct responsibility for the failures of October 7. Reports indicated Amidror was aware of the "Jericho Wall" attack plan but dismissed warnings from Unit 8200 personnel, deeming a scenario of terrorists breaching Israeli territory "completely fantastic." The night before the attack, despite border alerts and consultations, he arrived at the division's Re'im base without a personal weapon and went to sleep without ordering increased readiness.