Israel’s military chief resigned over the failure on October 7, 2023

Israel’s military chief has resigned, saying he accepts responsibility for the failure on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a deadly attack on the country that sparked the Gaza war.

In a letter to Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, he admitted that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had “failed in their mission to protect the citizens of Israel.”

“My responsibility for the terrible failure accompanies me every day, every hour, and will be so 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 military goals had been achieved.

“The military will continue to fight to further defeat Hamas and its governance capabilities, to secure the return of hostages” and to allow Israelis displaced by militant group attacks to return home, he added.

Shortly after, the head of the IDF’s Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, also announced that he was also stepping down, 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 ceasefire and a hostage-free deal negotiated with Hamas, which is banned as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and others.

Israel’s military and intelligence officials missed or ignored many warnings before hundreds of Hamas gunmen broke through Israel’s Gaza perimeter fence at multiple locations 15 months ago and attacked nearby Israeli communities, IS bases and a music festival. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

The IDF responded by launching an air and ground campaign in Gaza that killed more than 47,100 Palestinians, 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 almost 20,000 “operational workers”.

He also promised that the IDF’s investigation into the events of October 7, which he plans to complete before he leaves office, will be “high-quality, thorough and fully transparent.”

However, he warned that the military inquiry “is focused solely on IS and does not cover the wider factors that could prevent similar events in the future”.

“A commission of inquiry or another external body can investigate and verify and will receive full transparency from the IDF,” he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Gen. Halevi “for his many years of service and for commanding the IDF” during the war, saying it had “led to great achievements for Israel.”

So far, Netanyahu has said only that he deeply regrets what happened on October 7 and that he will have to answer “some difficult questions” about his role, without admitting any responsibility. He also said 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 IS compliance with a three-phase Gaza ceasefire deal with Hamas, under which the remaining Israeli hostages must be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

A total of 33 hostages are to be freed during the six-week first phase. Hamas handed over three women on Sunday, when the ceasefire took effect, and said it would release four more women on Saturday.

Israeli forces must also withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians must be allowed to begin returning to their homes, and hundreds of aid trucks must be allowed into the territory every day.

Talks on the second phase – which should lead to the release of the remaining hostages, the full withdrawal of Israeli troops and the “restoration of sustainable calm” – are due to begin in just over two weeks.

The third and final stage should involve the rebuilding of Gaza, which could take years, and the return of any remaining bodies of hostages.

However, there is strong concern among Palestinians in Gaza and the families of the hostages whether the deal will hold.

New US President Donald Trump said on Monday, taking credit for brokering the ceasefire he was not confident that all three phases would be fulfilled.

Netanyahu said Israel now has the support of the US to return to the fray if it “concludes that the second phase negotiations are ineffective”.