Mossad Director David Barnea will step down from his position in June 2026, Channel 12 reports, citing a decision reached jointly by Barnea and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the end of their most recent meeting.
Barnea, the last senior defense official still in his post from the time of the October 7 Hamas attacks, is expected to conclude his term after nearly five years at the helm of Israel’s intelligence agency.
Among those who have already stepped down are former IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Unlike those officials, Barnea was not seen as bearing significant responsibility for the Oct. 7 disaster, as it was the IDF and the Shin Bet, and not Mossad, who oversaw intelligence on Gaza.
According to the report, three candidates are currently being considered to succeed Barnea: Mossad’s current deputy chief, known only as “Alef”; a senior official referred to as “Chet,” who has held a central operational role in the agency for the past two years; and Netanyahu’s military secretary, Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman.
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From 
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
