Middle East - live: Israeli military intelligence chief resigns – as ‘mass grave found’ under Gaza hospital

The head of Israel’s military intelligence has resigned following a failure to prevent Hamas’ “murderous surprise attack” on 7 October.

Major General Aharon Haliva admitted that his division “did not live up to the task we were entrusted with” and said he “carries that black day” with him forever.

“At the beginning of the war, I expressed my desire to accept responsibility and finish my duties. Now, after more than six months, and at the same time as the investigations begin, I would like to end my position,” he wrote.

“Until the end of my shift, I will do everything for the defeat of Hamas and those who want to harm us and the work for the return of the captives and the missing to their homes and land.”

It comes as Al Jazeera has reported bodies being recovered from a mass grave inside the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza’s Khan Younis.

“In the hospital courtyard, civil defence members and paramedics have retrieved 180 bodies buried in this mass grave by the Israeli military. The bodies include elderly women, children and young men,” the outlet reported, quoting its reporter and Palestinian emergency services from Khan Younis.

The conflict between Israel and Iran, fought out often in secret and through proxies, has now erupted with Israel carrying out strikes deep inside Iran six days after Tehran’s attack with more than 350 drones and missiles.

Explosions were heard near the central city of Isfahan, which has a large airbase, a major missile production complex and number of nuclear facilities.

Videos from the city showed orange flashes in the night sky, along with sounds of what appeared to be sustained bursts of anti-aircraft artillery.

With the ratcheting of tension in an area bristling with arms, a misstep by either