Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would complete the investigation into the 2023 Hamas attack before he leaves office in March.
Israel’s army chief has resigned, taking responsibility for security failures linked to October 7, 2023, when Hamas carried out a deadly attack in Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi announced Tuesday that he would resign on March 6, admitting that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “under my command have failed in their mission to protect the citizens of Israel.”
“My responsibility for this terrible failure accompanies me every day, hour by hour, and will accompany me until the end of my life”he wrote in his resignation letter addressed to Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Major General Yaron Finkelman, head of Israel’s Southern Command, which oversees operations in Gaza, also resigned on Tuesday.
Herzi Halevi and Yaron Finkelman are the highest-ranking Israeli figures to resign due to the failure of security and intelligence services on October 7.
The attack, the deadliest in Israeli history, killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants kidnapped 251 others. More than 90 captives remain held in Gaza, around a third of whom are believed to have died.
The IDF responded with an air and ground campaign in Gaza, killing at least 47,000 Palestinians so far, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. This ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Announcing his resignation in a televised address, Herzi Halevi said the Israeli military’s investigation into the October 7 attack would be completed before he leaves office in March.
“A commission of inquiry or any other external body can investigate and examine the facts and will benefit from full transparency from the IDF”he declared.
His comments are likely to increase pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has delayed any public inquiry that could implicate his leadership.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration has resisted calls for an investigation into government responsibility for the attack, saying it should wait until after the war is over.
The resignations of the two senior Israeli officials came days after a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage and prisoner exchange deal were reached between Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire is in its third day, but it is unclear what will happen after the first phase of the agreement, lasting 42 days.
The next steps of the agreement provide for further releases of hostages and prisoners, as well as a definitive end to the 15-month-old war.
Additional sources •AP