Israel ex-spymaster Zvi Zamir, whose 1973 war warning was ignored, dies

Zvi Zamir Passes Away: Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant said, “His contribution to Israel's security will be remembered for many years to come.”

Former head of Israeli intelligence agency Mossad Zvi Zamir has died at the age of 98. His death was announced by Mossad which was led by him from 1968 to 1974. Israel's defence minister Yoav Gallant said on social media platform X, “His contribution to Israel's security will be remembered for many years to come.”

All you need to know about Zvi Zamir:

1. Zvi Zamir oversaw Israel's campaign of assassinating Palestinian commanders blamed for the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
2. Zvi Zamir's warning that Egypt and Syria were about to attack Israel in 1973 was largely ignored by the government, he had said.
3. Zvi Zamir was in charge of Mossad when Syria and Egypt attacked Israel on October 6 1973.
4. Zvi Zamir later said that bitterly that a senior informant had told him that Cairo and Damascus were planning a surprise October 1973 offensive.
5. Zi Zamir also led the intelligence agency during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
6. Then, the Israeli military intelligence treated this as fake and owing to this the government failed to mount a full mobilisation in advance.
7. Within hours, Egyptian and Syrian forces had then attacked and overran Israeli lines. They were eventually repelled in an Israeli counteroffensive but the attack became a national trauma for Israelis who are now grappling with the shock of the surprise Hamas attack last October.
8. Danny Yatom, also a former Mossad chief, told Army Radio as per news agency Reuters, “He (Zamir) departed with a feeling that perhaps had he been more forceful it (the 1973 war) would not have happened. It burned him up inside.”

Zvi Zamir Passes Away: Zvi Zamir is seen.