Tel Aviv (TDI): Israel’s Army Chief Herzi Halevi announced his resignation on Tuesday, taking responsibility for the catastrophic security failure on October 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen from Gaza launched a cross-border attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and took around 250 hostages.
Halevi, who had been widely expected to resign after the deadliest day in Israeli history, stated he would remain in office until March 6, 2025, completing the military’s internal probe into the attack and bolstering the readiness of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The resignation came amid increasing criticism, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has resisted demands for a state inquiry into its role in the breach.
In his resignation letter to Defence Minister Israel Katz, Halevi acknowledged the IDF’s failure to protect Israeli nationals on that fateful day.
“Israel paid heavily in human lives,” he wrote, noting that the responsibility for the failure would weigh on him for the rest of his life.
While Halevi promised to conduct a transparent probe into the events, there are reports that other senior military leaders, including the heads of the navy and air force, might also step down.
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Though Halevi was criticised by hardliners in Netanyahu’s administration, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, for not being aggressive enough in the Gaza war, he also received appreciation for the IDF’s military successes, especially in dismantling Hamas’ military capabilities.
However, the October 7 attack continues to dwarf the war’s later victories.
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Despite the setback, Halevi said that Israel’s military power had been restored, and public support for the military remains strong.
