Israeli army chief resigns over failure on October 7, 2023
Israel’s army chief has resigned, saying he recognizes his responsibility for its failure on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian armed group Hamas launched a deadly attack on the country that launched the Gaza war.
In a letter to the Defense Minister, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi admitted that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “failed in their mission to protect the citizens of Israel.”
“The responsibility for a terrible failure follows me every day, every hour, and it will be like that for the rest of my life,” he added.
The general said he would leave his post on March 6 at a time of “significant achievements” for the IDF, although he acknowledged that “not all” of Israel’s war goals had been achieved.
“The army will continue to fight to further dismantle Hamas and its governance capabilities, ensure the return of hostages” and allow Israelis displaced by attacks by armed groups to return home, he added.
Soon after, the head of the IDF’s Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, also announced his resignation, saying he had failed in his “duty to protect the Western Negev and its beloved, heroic residents.”
Their resignations come three days after the start of a Gaza cease-fire and a hostage-release deal negotiated with Hamas, which is banned as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and others.
Israeli military and intelligence officials missed or ignored many warnings before hundreds of armed Hamas fighters breached Israel’s Gaza fence at multiple locations 15 months ago and attacked nearby Israeli communities, IDF bases and a music festival. About 1,200 people were killed, and 251 people were taken hostage.
The IDF responded by launching an air and ground campaign in Gaza, during which more than 47,100 Palestinians were killed, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
General Halevi said in a televised address on Tuesday that Hamas’s military wing had been “severely damaged”, with most of the group’s leadership and military commanders killed along with nearly 20,000 “operatives”.
He also promised that the IDF’s investigation into the events of October 7, which he plans to complete before leaving office, will be “high-quality, thorough and fully transparent.”
However, he cautioned that the military investigation “is focused solely on the IDF and does not encompass broader factors that could prevent similar events in the future.”
“A commission of inquiry or any other external body can investigate and investigate and will receive full transparency from the IDF,” he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked General Halevi “for his many years of service and for commanding the IDF” during the war, saying it “led to great achievements for Israel.”
Netanyahu has so far said only that he is deeply sorry for what happened on October 7 and that he will have to answer “some tough questions” about his role, without admitting any responsibility. He also said that an independent commission of inquiry should wait until the end of the war in Gaza.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid praised Halevi’s decision and called on Netanyahu to follow suit.
Now is the time for them to take responsibility and resign – the prime minister and his entire disastrous government, he said.
General Halevi is currently overseeing the IDF’s compliance with a three-phase Gaza ceasefire agreement with Hamas that would see the remaining Israeli hostages released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
In the first phase, which will last six weeks, a total of 33 hostages should be released. Hamas handed over three women on Sunday, when the ceasefire took effect, and said it would release four more women on Saturday.
Israeli forces should also withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians should be allowed to begin returning to their homes, and hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks should be allowed into the territory every day.
Negotiations for the second phase – which should allow for the release of the remaining hostages, the full withdrawal of Israeli troops and the “establishment of a sustainable peace” – are due to begin in just over two weeks.
The third and final phase should involve the reconstruction of Gaza, which could take years, and the return of any remaining bodies of the hostages.
However, there is great concern among Palestinians in Gaza and the families of the hostages about whether the deal will hold.
New US President Donald Trump, who took credit for brokering the ceasefire, said on Monday he was not convinced that all three phases would be implemented.
Netanyahu said Israel already has the support of the US to return to the fighting if it “comes to the conclusion that the second phase of negotiations is ineffective”.