The head of the Military Intelligence Directorate's Research Division, Brig. Gen. Amit Saar will step down in the coming days due to personal reasons, unrelated to the war and the failure of the unit to sound the alarm about the Oct. 7 attack. Saar was recently diagnosed with a malignant tumor requiring immediate treatment. His predecessor Itai Brun was asked by the chief of staff to temporarily fill in for him until a new commander for the unit is appointed, and Brun agreed.
Saar made the decision several days ago and discussed this with IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Military Intelligence Directorate head Aharon Haliva, and other officials. His decision was accepted with understanding given the circumstances, and he is expected to complete his role in the coming days. Initially, the IDF will not appoint a permanent replacement, but rather have someone temporarily fill the position. Only later will a permanent commander be appointed to the division.
Saar has served as head of the Military Intelligence Research Division since October 2020. In his previous role, he was the Intelligence Officer of the Southern Command, and before that, he served as head of the Palestinian Arena in the Research Division and as an aide to Aviv Kochavi during his time as the head of the Intelligence Directorate.
Saar is considered an expert on the Palestinian arena with a specialty in Hamas in Gaza, which is precisely why his failure to predict Hamas' October 7 attack was so resounding. Immediately after that dark day, he made it clear to his commanders and subordinates that he bears full responsibility for the failure and that he would not serve out his term. However, Saar's original plan was to step down only after the war ended but is now effectively leading immediately due to personal reasons.
The Research Division is the flagship of the Intelligence Corps. It receives all intelligence materials collected by the various organizations and units and translates them into an overall intelligence picture. Its role is to provide Israel's annual intelligence assessment, as well as warnings about various threats – from war to terror attacks. The division was significantly upgraded after failing to decipher the signs indicating war, leading to the failure of the Yom Kippur War. Among other things, a special "Red Team" was created at that time to provide an opposing view to any assessment or thinking without being subordinate to the division and reporting directly to the IDF Intelligence Directorate chief.
The investigations and committees that will examine the failures of the current war will certainly look into why the Research Division reached the sweeping conclusion that Hamas was deterred and not interested in war, even though Saar himself warned several times in the year preceding the war that Israel's security strength was eroding in the eyes of its enemies against the backdrop of the internal strife caused by the judicial overhaul legislation. He did this, among other things, in several letters he sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which were completely ignored.
Saar is the highest-ranking officer so far among those responsible for the failures of the war in the security establishment to complete his role. He was preceded by the Intelligence Officer of the Southern Command, Col. A., who was dismissed from his position after having a relationship with a subordinate officer, and another intelligence officer in the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Southern Command who asked to end his role.
Apart from them, all those responsible in the Intelligence Corps, staff bodies, and field units have remained in their positions for now, although some may step down once the investigations currently being conducted in the IDF are concluded.
"Brigadier General Saar is a highly decorated officer who has contributed greatly to the security of the State of Israel, even in these days of war. The chief of staff, Lieutenant General Hertzi Halevi, appreciates his many years of service in the IDF and his life's work for the security of the citizens of the State of Israel," the IDF stated.
