Shin Bet Chief Vows Global Hunt for October 7 Perpetrators as Netanyahu and Herzog Honor Agents

At a semi-annual ceremony recognizing exceptional Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) personnel, Director David Zini vowed the agency will pursue every Hamas operative involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis, regardless of where they may be hiding. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog attended the event, which honored 18 officers from across the agency.

"To the planners of the slaughter, to its implementers, and to all who took part in the disgrace of the honor and the blood of the State of Israel, and to all who seek our destruction, we have one uncompromising message: there is no place in the world too far, there is no forgiveness, and there is no expiration date."

Zini emphasized the Shin Bet's long reach and continued determination:

"We pursued, we are pursuing, and we will continue to pursue you down to the last co-conspirator. The long and determined arm of the Israeli defense establishment will reach all who harm us — deep in a tunnel, in concealed command centers, and in every corner of the globe."

He framed the effort as both a national and moral obligation: "This is our sacred duty to the nation and for humanity," Zini said. He also praised the agency's resilience and capacity to learn from setbacks: "You are the proof that even from a great fall, we can rise up, improve, flourish; this agency rises, learns, and wins every day."

The report noted that after a failed Israeli operation targeting Hamas officials in Qatar in September 2025, Israel assured the Trump administration it would not strike targets on Qatari soil again. Officials say Zini's promise could still apply to Hamas figures should they leave Qatar.

Palestinians take control of an Israeli tank after crossing the border fence with Israel from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 7, 2023. (credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90)

Awards and Operational Focus

The awards recognized a wide range of Shin Bet roles, including counter-espionage, recruitment and human intelligence, West Bank operations and cyber and technology specialists safeguarding Israel's digital infrastructure. Eighteen employees received honors, three of them women.

Examples cited by the agency included a female desk analyst in the Counter-Espionage Division, identified only as "A," who is credited with building a sophisticated intelligence picture that led to operational results. Another honoree, also anonymized as "A," is a Southern Division handler and recruiter who expanded the agency's source network and produced high-value intelligence.

Politics, Oversight and Election Integrity

President Isaac Herzog urged the Shin Bet to operate closely with other institutions and to remain non-partisan as it helps protect election integrity ahead of the October 27 vote.

Zini has previously made comments that raised concerns about perceived partiality toward Prime Minister Netanyahu. There is no public evidence that Zini used his office to favor the prime minister, but he declined a Knesset advisory committee recommendation to provide a personal security detail to Yashar party leader and leading candidate for prime minister, Gadi Eisenkot. Zini argued that, absent a specific threat and since Eisenkot is neither a current officeholder nor the formal opposition leader, there was no obligation to assign a detail. The Knesset's Shin Bet oversight committee, chaired by government political officials, supported Zini's position over its advisory committee.

The ceremony highlighted the breadth of the Shin Bet's work and underscored its leadership's pledge to continue pursuing those responsible for the October 7 attacks while navigating complex legal, diplomatic and political constraints.