Israel’s military chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, announced on Tuesday that he will resign on March 6, taking responsibility for the security failure on October 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen from Gaza launched a deadly cross-border attack on Israel.
“On the morning of Oct. 7, the IDF under my command failed in its mission to protect the citizens of Israel,” Halevi wrote in his resignation letter to Defence Minister Israel Katz.
He acknowledged that Israel had paid a heavy price in human lives and hostages and suffered wounds to its “body and soul,” Halevi added, “My responsibility for the terrible failure accompanies me every day, hour by hour, and will do so for the rest of my life.”
Despite public outrage over the attack, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and around 250 taken hostage, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has resisted calls for a state inquiry into its own role in the security lapse.
Halevi, a military veteran of four decades, said he would oversee the completion of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) internal inquiries and work to strengthen the military’s preparedness before handing over command to a yet-to-be-named successor.
In a televised address, he assured the public that the investigation would be “deep and transparent,” with findings presented to the defence minister and, as much as permissible, to the public.
Maariv news outlet reported that the heads of the navy and air force are also expected to submit their resignations soon. Major-General Yaron Finkelman, head of the IDF’s Southern Command, has already announced his resignation.
The wave of resignations has fueled further criticism of the government’s handling of the crisis. “Maybe our prime minister should take example from the personal responsibility that the chief of staff has taken,” said activist Gil Ashkenazy, 60. Former diplomat Zeev Harel expressed similar sentiments, saying, “I hope that our government will take the same responsibility.”
Halevi’s tenure has been marked by tensions within Netanyahu’s government, particularly regarding military conscription exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students—an issue that put him at odds with some ministers.
Meanwhile, after 15 months of war in Gaza, a ceasefire deal entered its first phase on Sunday. Three hostages have been released, with a total of 33 expected to be freed within six weeks. Approximately 94 hostages remain in Gaza, though some are believed to have died in captivity.
Boluwatife Enome
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