Shin Bet chief says agency 'could have prevented' 7 October attack

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar said that the Israeli security service will learn from its failures that led to the Hamas-led 7 October attack.

"We all feel the loss, the feeling that we could have prevented it, and as the head of the agency and responsible for the agency’s activities, I feel it perhaps more than anyone," he said, speaking at a Memorial Day ceremony for killed members of the Shin Bet.

Ten members and veterans of the agency have been killed since last year's Memorial Day.

Bar added that a "painful and significant investigation" will take place to find the role the Shin Bet played in the 7 October failures.

"We will learn from this and correct what is required. This is our duty to the people of Israel and this is our duty to the fallen. Without the public’s trust in the state institutions and us, we have no right to exist."