This page is subject to the extended confirmed restriction related to the Arab-Israeli conflict. It is one of the main entities in the Israeli Intelligence Community , along with Aman military intelligence and Shin Bet internal security. Mossad is responsible for intelligence collection , covert operations , and counter-terrorism. Its director answers directly and only to the prime minister. In March , it was reorganized and incorporated into the prime minister's office, reporting directly to the Prime Minister of Israel.
In the s, Aliza Magen-Halevi became the highest-ranking woman in Mossad's history when she served as the agency's deputy director under Shabtai Shavit and Danny Yatom. The Mossad made an unusual move on Israel's 68th Independence Day by releasing a secret recruitment ad for its Cyber Division.
The ad featured seemingly random letters and numbers, which turned out to be a hidden puzzle. Over 25, people attempted to solve it, and while most failed, dozens succeeded and were recruited. In , during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict , it was reported in the media that Hezbollah fired a "Qader 1" missile towards the Mossad base in Tel Aviv.
The organizational structure of the Mossad is officially classified. Mossad is organized into divisions, led by a director who is equivalent to a major general in the Israel Defense Forces. Mossad opened a venture capital fund in June , [ 18 ] to invest in high-tech startups to develop new cyber technologies.
A katsa is a field intelligence officer of the Mossad. A katsa is a case officer who runs agents to clandestinely collect intelligence. The kidon are Mossad's elite assassins. Recruits receive two years of training at Mossad's training facility near Herzliya. According to Gordon Thomas, there were 4, sayanim in Britain and some 16, in the United States in Israeli students called bodlim are often used as gofers for Mossad.
