CNN
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Israel’s military chief of staff, General Herzi Halevi, announced he would resign in March after failing to prevent the October 7 attack.
In a letter to the Israeli prime minister and defense minister released by the army, Halevi said: “Due to my responsibility for the failure of the Israeli army on October 7, and at a time when the army has recorded exceptional results in restoring Israel’s deterrence and strength. , I wish to end my mandate on March 6, 2025.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had given Halevi a deadline of January 30 to complete internal military investigations into the failure to prevent the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
Halevi’s resignation marks the highest-profile departure of an Israeli official linked to the failures of the security establishment on October 7. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to take responsibility for these failures, saying accountability would only come after the war.
In a statement, the prime minister’s office said Netanyahu spoke with Halevi on Tuesday and “thanked the chief of staff for his long service and command of the IDF.”
This resignation comes just days after a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza came into force. Discussions for a definitive end to the war should, according to the agreement, begin on February 4.
“On the morning of October 7, under my command, the Israeli army failed in its mission to protect Israeli citizens,” Halevi wrote. “The State of Israel has paid a heavy and painful price in lives lost, people taken hostage and injuries – both physically and mentally. »
The military leader had also come under pressure from Israeli far-right nationalist ministers, who viewed him as incapable or unwilling to implement their maximalist vision of the war in Gaza and the West Bank.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich toyed with the idea of resigning from the government over opposition to the Gaza ceasefire, but decided to stay after saying he received assurances from Netanyahu to continue Israeli military operations .
The commander of Israel’s Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, also resigned, saying he had “failed to protect the Western Negev and its beloved and heroic residents” on October 7.