Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has officially appointed Major General Roman Gofman as the new chief of the Mossad, Israel's esteemed foreign intelligence agency. Gofman, who has no prior experience in intelligence but a robust military career, will take over from current director David Barnea on June 2, 2026. Born in Belarus in 1976, Gofman immigrated to Israel at the age of 14 and enlisted in the military's armored corps in 1995. He was seriously wounded during the clashes with Hamas militants in Sderot, a city in southern Israel, during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Gofman later joined Netanyahu's office in April 2024 and is known for his support of Netanyahu's nationalist views. The Mossad has maintained its reputation as one of the world's best intelligence services, even as the heads of domestic and military intelligence resigned after failing to prevent the October 7 attack. Gofman's appointment comes at a time when the Mossad has been involved in significant operations against regional leaders and militants since the outbreak of the conflict.