The head of Israel’s Shin Bet security service has taken responsibility for the bloody Oct. 7 Hamas rampage that killed over 1,400 Israelis. In a message sent to Shin Bet workers and their families over the weekend, Ronen Bar wrote that “despite a number of actions we took, unfortunately, on Saturday we were unable to create enough early warning to prevent the attack.”
The Associated Press has the story:
Shin Bet head takes responsibility for no warning before Hamas attack
Newslooks- JERUSALEM
In a message sent to Shin Bet workers and their families over the weekend, Ronen Bar wrote that “despite a number of actions we took, unfortunately, on Saturday we were unable to create enough early warning to prevent the attack.”
“As the person at the head of the organization, the responsibility for that is on me,” he added. “There will be time for investigation — now is a time for war.”
The letter was obtained by The Associated Press on Monday.
The Shin Bet leads Israel’s efforts to track and monitor Palestinian militants. The Israeli news site Ynet has reported that on the eve of the attack, Bar was summoned to the office because of abnormal activity detected in Gaza. But officials believed that only a limited attack would take place, according to the report.
KREMLIN SAYS PUTIN CALLED FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken with Egyptian, Iranian, Syrian and Palestinian leaders, urging a quick end to the hostilities.
The Kremlin said in its readout of Monday’s phone calls that Putin emphasized “the unacceptability of any form of violence against civilians” and noted that Moscow has submitted a draft U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce.
It noted that Putin and his interlocutors expressed “extreme concern” about the escalation of hostilities, “a catastrophic increase in the number of civilian casualties and a deepening humanitarian crisis” in Gaza.
Putin reaffirmed Russia’s call for the resumption of a political process to help “reach a long-term and fair solution to the Palestinian problem on a well-known international legal basis, which would envisage the creation of an independent Palestinian state coexisting in peace and security with Israel.”
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Putin was also scheduled to talk Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
HEZBOLLAH SAYS IT ATTACKED ISRAELI POSITION NEAR LEBANON
BEIRUT – Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group says its fighters have targeted an Israeli position along the border directly hitting a Merkava tank.
Hezbollah said in a statement that the Sunday evening attack hit an Israeli position near the Lebanese border village of Duhaira. It gave no other details about the attack.
