U.S. Army Officer Resigns From Defense Intelligence Agency Over Gaza Policy

An active-duty officer with the U.S. Army publicly announced his resignation on Monday from the Defense Intelligence Agency and the service over the American government’s policy on Gaza ― the latest official to leave their post in protest of the Biden administration’s continued support for Israel’s military offensive in the Palestinian enclave.

Army Maj. Harrison Mann, who has specialized in the Middle East and Africa for about half of his 13-year military career, distributed his resignation letter internally on April 16 before deciding to publicly post a “lightly edited” version on LinkedIn this week in light of the continued U.S. support for Israel despite its recent invasion into Rafah.

“This office does not only inform policy. It facilitates, and, at times, directly executes policy,” Mann wrote in his letter addressed to colleagues at the Middle East/Africa Regional Center. “And the policy that has never been far from my mind for the past six months is the nearly unqualified support for the government of Israel, which has enabled and empowered the killing and starvation of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians.”

Since Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 hostage in Israel on Oct. 7, Israeli forces have killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza, most of whom are women and children; displaced most of the Palestinian population; created a starvation crisis by blocking access to aid; bombed hospitals; detained and tortured men and boys; and targeted journalists, aid workers and health care officials. Those casualties do not include the violence also facing Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli settlers and soldiers.

In his letter, Mann reflected on his own position at the DIA, and how he