Israeli army chief Major General Herzi Halevi announced his resignation on Monday, taking full responsibility for the defense forces’ failure to stop the deadly Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The resignation was confirmed through a letter made public by the Israeli Defense Forces, marking a significant change in Israel’s military leadership as the country recovers from one of the darkest days in its history.
Halevy acknowledged the shortcomings of the military’s response to the attack and expressed regret over the loss of life and the unprecedented nature of the attack, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis, the majority of whom were civilians. He also said that the military had achieved some success in the months following the attack, but Israel’s war goals were far from accomplished.
In addition, Major General Yaron Finkelman, head of Israel’s Southern Command, responsible for overseeing the Gaza operation, also resigned. The resignation comes in the wake of a fragile ceasefire agreement with Hamas that temporarily ended the 15-month-long conflict, which began with the devastating October 7 attack.
The October 7 attack, which also included a coordinated attack by Hamas, took 251 Israeli civilians hostage, a situation that deepened the crisis and intensified global scrutiny of Israel’s defense apparatus.
