Yossi Sariel

Yossi Sariel was born in 1979 in Haifa

Yossi Sariel was born in Haifa and spent most of his childhood there. He is married with 4 children and lives in the Galilee.

He holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, sociology and Middle East studies from Bar-Ilan University. He also earned a master's degree in strategy, security and economics from the National Defense University in the United States.

He joined the IDF Intelligence Directorate in 1997 and held intelligence posts in Unit 8200, Division 91, the Research Division and Central Command. In 2018 he received the Israel Defense Prize for an artificial intelligence project and a counterterrorism project. He headed the operational division of military intelligence before taking command of Unit 8200 in 2021.

In 2021 he published a book on artificial intelligence in the army under the pen name Brigadier General YS. In April 2024 The Guardian revealed his identity. He led the unit during the 7 October attack and announced his resignation in September 2024 after an initial inquiry into the unit's intelligence failure.

In November 2025, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir dismissed him from reserve duty over his command responsibility for 7 October. In 2026 he founded Alma Labs, which develops AI tools for education, and joined Decart AI.