Shin Bet admits failure to prevent October 7 attack

Israel's domestic security agency, Shin Bet, admitted on March 4, 2025, that it failed to prevent the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, which resulted in significant casualties. The agency's chief, Ronen Bar, accepted responsibility for these failures. An internal investigation revealed that Shin Bet recognized the threat from Hamas but did not treat prior knowledge of an attack plan as urgent. The agency noted that a focus on maintaining quiet allowed Hamas to strengthen militarily. The investigation concluded that Shin Bet did not adequately warn about the scale of the attack, and its response on the night of October 7 was insufficient to prevent the assault.