New Delhi: Israel’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, announced Tuesday that he would resign on 6 March, taking responsibility for the military’s failure to prevent the Hamas attack on 7 October, 2023.
The cross-border assault, which originated from Gaza, resulted in heavy casualties and widespread trauma across Israel, followed by Israel’s brutal retaliation on the Gaza Strip, killing tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Soon after the announcement, Major General Yaron Finkelman, the head of Israel’s Southern Command, followed suit and notified Halevi of his own resignation, stating that the “failure (of Oct 7) is seared within for life”.
Halevi and Finkelman’s resignations come shortly after a ceasefire deal with Hamas took effect, with discussions set to begin in early February on a permanent end to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, Halevi expressed his decision to step down.
“By virtue of my recognition of my responsibility for the IDF’s failure on October 7th, and at a time when the IDF has significant achievements and is in the process of implementing the agreement to release our hostages, I have requested to leave my role on March 6th, 2025,” Halevi wrote.
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗳𝗳, 𝗟𝗧𝗚 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝘇𝗶 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗶:
“I informed the Minister of Defense today (Tuesday) that by virtue of my recognition of my responsibility for the IDF's failure on October 7th, and at a time when the…
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 21, 2025
Halevi’s resignation marks the most high-profile departure among officials linked to the security lapses surrounding the 7 October attack. Halevi had come under intense pressure from Israel’s far-right nationalist ministers, who criticised his leadership amid growing frustration over the IDF’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank. Netanyahu, however, has refrained from taking responsibility, stating that accountability for the attack will come after the ongoing war.
Possible successors
The search for Halevi’s successor is already underway. Eyal Zamir, the current director-general of the defense ministry, is widely considered the leading candidate, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Zamir, who was Halevi’s runner-up in the last race for IDF chief, has close ties to Netanyahu. Other potential candidates include Major General Amir Baram, the outgoing deputy IDF chief, and Major General Uri Gordon, head of Israel’s Northern Command.
The impact of Halevi’s resignation on other key positions, including IDF Chief Spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari, remains unclear. Hagari, a close ally of Halevi, has stated he will stay on if asked by Halevi’s successor.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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