Commander of Unit 8200 Lt. Col. Yossi Shariel Resigns After October 7 Intelligence Failure

Lt. Col. Yossi Shariel, commander of Israel’s elite Unit 8200, announced his resignation today (Thursday) following the unit’s failure to foresee the October 7 attack. In a letter to unit members, Shariel expressed deep regret over the incident, stating, "At 06:29 on October 7, I did not fulfill the task as expected of me, by my subordinates, commanders, and the citizens of the country that I love so much."

Shariel emphasized his responsibility for the unit's shortcomings and the intelligence failure during the Hamas-led attack. He indicated that after completing the preliminary investigations into the unit’s role in the October 7 events, he felt it was time to "pass the baton to the next shift."

Admission of Failure

Lt. Col. Shariel reflected on the failures of Unit 8200, Israel's primary intelligence-gathering division, and his inability to anticipate the attack. "In the years before, and on the night of October 7, we failed as an intelligence and operational system to connect the dots and recognize the emerging threat," Shariel wrote.

He admitted that Unit 8200 had not provided the crucial intelligence needed in Gaza, saying, "We failed to bring the golden information." He accepted full responsibility for the unit’s part in the intelligence breakdown, adding, "I acted out of fear of God, and yet the worst happened. I deeply apologize."

Background and Career

Lt. Col. Shariel has had a distinguished career in the IDF, serving as a senior network intelligence officer within Unit 8200 before becoming head of its cyber branch. He also held roles as the intelligence officer for the Central Command and as head of the operational operations brigade in the Intelligence Directorate. He was appointed commander of Unit 8200 two years ago.

Before taking up his current role, Shariel studied at the National Defense University in Washington D.C., a prestigious institution run by the U.S. Department of Defense. His tenure as the head of Unit 8200 came into the spotlight earlier this year when the British newspaper The Guardian revealed his identity and activities that violated IDF’s information security guidelines.

The Guardian Revelations

In April, The Guardian reported that Shariel had inadvertently revealed his identity as the commander of Unit 8200 by publishing a book on Amazon under Brigadier General Y.S.'s pen name and attaching his personal email account to it. The book, published in 2021, outlined the use of artificial intelligence in IDF operations.

The British outlet also uncovered Shariel's active social media accounts on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, linking him to his confidential role. These revelations were in direct violation of the IDF's strict information security policies.

As Israel continues to grapple with the consequences of the intelligence failures from October 7, Shariel’s resignation marks a significant leadership change within one of the most critical arms of the IDF.