Ex-Shin Bet Official Accuses Agency of Misreading Hamas Threat

A former senior official in the Shin Bet, Micha Kobi, has leveled serious accusations against the security agency and its current head, Ronen Bar, claiming the organization possessed intelligence about an impending attack on October 7th but failed to act.

Kobi stated that the Shin Bet knew about Hamas's exercises, including plans to capture specific Israeli military formations and kibbutzim, evidenced by signage in Hebrew. He asserted that the agency, and specifically Bar, were caught in a "conception" that Hamas was deterred and that any activity was merely a drill, despite clear intelligence to the contrary. Kobi believes this misjudgment, coupled with Egyptian intelligence, led to the disaster.

He cited comments from a former Shin Bet official, Mira Shoshani, who headed Hamas's counter-intelligence division, suggesting that Bar was focused on a "settlement" with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Shoshani reportedly recounted being told "it's a drill" when she inquired about sounds of gunfire on the morning of the attack, which Kobi interprets as Bar's belief that Hamas was conducting exercises.

Kobi also claimed that Bar and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi advanced a "settlement" with Hamas without the knowledge or update of the political echelon. He argued that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been informed and ordered actions like supersonic flyovers of Gaza, the war could have been prevented.

These claims directly contradict Bar's recent assertion that he had warned Netanyahu, who allegedly failed to act. Kobi dismissed Bar's statements as "election stories" from a "junta" aiming to overthrow the government, questioning why Bar did not act to prevent the war if he had indeed issued a warning. He insisted, based on reliable sources, that no such warning was given and that Bar is responsible for the failure.