Israel’s military leader resigned in defeat on October 7, 2023

Israel’s military chief has resigned, saying he accepted responsibility for his defeat on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian armed group Hamas launched a deadly attack on the country that triggered 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 Israeli citizens.”

“The responsibility of the terrible failure is my companion every day, every hour, and it will be like that for the rest of my life,” he added.

The general said he would step down on March 6 at a time of “significant achievements” for the IDF, although he admitted that “all” of Israel’s war goals had not been achieved.

“The army will continue to fight to further dismantle Hamas and its governance capabilities, to ensure the return of hostages” and allow Israelis displaced by the armed groups’ attacks 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 beloved heroes of the Western Negev and its residents.”

Their resignations come three days after the start of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas, which is banned as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and others.

Israeli military and intelligence officials missed or ignored multiple warnings before hundreds of Hamas men breached Israel’s Gaza perimeter fence at various locations 15 months ago and attacked nearby Israeli communities, IDF bases and a music festival. About 1,200 people died and 251 were taken hostage.

The IDF responded by launching an air and ground campaign in Gaza that has 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 the military wing of Hamas had been “severely damaged”, with most of the group’s leaders 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 intends to complete before he leaves office, will be “high-quality, thorough and completely transparent.”

However, he cautioned that the military investigation “is only focused on the IDF and does not take into account broader factors that could prevent similar events in the future.”

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

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Gen Halevi for his “many years of service and command of the IDF” during the war, saying he “brought great achievements for Israel.”

So far, Netanyahu has said he deeply regrets what happened on October 7 and will have to answer “some tough questions” about his role, without accepting 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, it’s time to take responsibility and resign the prime minister and his entire disastrous government,” he said.

General Halevi is overseeing the IDF’s implementation of a three-phase cease-fire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, which would require the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

A total of 33 hostages are to be released in the first phase, which lasts six weeks. Hamas handed over three women on Sunday, when the ceasefire came into 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 aid trucks should be allowed to enter the territory every day.

Negotiations for the second phase – which would require the release of the remaining hostages, the withdrawal of all Israeli troops and the “restoration of lasting calm” – should begin in just over two weeks.

The third and final stage should be the reconstruction of Gaza, which would take years, and the return of the bodies of the remaining hostages.

However, there is great anxiety among Palestinians in Gaza and the families of the hostages over whether the deal will stand.

The new US President Donald Trump, who has taken over the mediation of the ceasefire, said on Monday it was not certain that the three phases would be realized.

Netanyahu said Israel already has the backing of the US to return to the fighting “if it concludes that the second phase negotiations are ineffective”.