Cleared for Publication: Gaza Division Intelligence Officer on October 7 Identified

Israel’s Supreme Court ruled today (Thursday) that Lt. Col. Aryeh Amidror was the officer who served as the Gaza Division’s intelligence officer during the October 7 attack. Amidror, the son of Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, waged a legal battle both against the disclosure of his identity and against the process that led to the end of his IDF service.

Amidror took up the position in May 2023, just a few months before the attack. As part of his role, he was exposed to Hamas’s "Jericho Wall" plan, which resembled the attack that was ultimately carried out in key ways. According to later investigations and reports, a female noncommissioned officer and expert from Unit 8200 warned that Hamas was practicing maneuvers in the field similar to those in the plan. Despite this, the assessments did not lead to a substantial change in the perception of the threat or an increase in alert levels in the sector.

Amidror’s conduct on the night between October 6 and 7 was also at the center of the review. According to the published findings, he arrived at the division’s base in Re’im during the night, but did not order an increase in the alert level or wake all relevant forces. Later investigations pointed to deep gaps in identifying the change Hamas had undergone and in understanding its intentions.

After the war, the expert panel that examined the division’s performance determined that there had been significant failures in intelligence processes and in raising the alert level. Later, the IDF chief of staff decided that Amidror was among the commanders who bore command responsibility for the failures of October 7, and the IDF ultimately announced his release from service.

Amidror opposed the process and appealed to the court. In June, his claims were rejected, and it was determined that the IDF has the authority to initiate the termination of an officer’s service because of professional and command failures. At the same time, a battle was underway over revealing his identity, which for a long period had been published only as "Lt. Col. A."