Israeli army chief resigns: Here’s why

JERUSALEM: Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi said on Tuesday that he would resign on March 6, taking responsibility for the massive security lapse that occurred on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas gunmen from Gaza attacked Israel from across the border.

Halevi, who had been widely expected to resign in the wake of the deadliest day in Israeli history, said he would complete an inquiry into the Israel Defense Forces on October 7 and strengthen the IDF’s preparedness for security challenges. It was not immediately clear who would replace Halevi, who said he would transfer command of the IDF to a yet-to-be-named successor.

Despite public outrage on October 7, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has resisted calls to open a state inquiry into its responsibility for the security breach that left 1,200 Israelis dead and nearly 250 hostages.

“On the morning of October 7, the IDF failed in its mission to protect Israeli citizens,” Halevi wrote in his resignation letter to Defense Minister Israel Katz.

He added that Israel paid a heavy price in human lives and in “body and soul” of those kidnapped and injured.

“My responsibility for the terrible failure follows me every day, hour by hour, and I will do so for the rest of my life,” said Halevi, a four-decade military veteran.

Halevi was tied to former Defense Minister Yuv Gallant, who was fired by Netanyahu in November, and had clashed with some ministers over the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students from military conscription.

Several senior military officers have already resigned over the October 7 failures, and Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of the army’s Southern Command, has also announced his resignation.

After 15 months of fighting in Gaza, the first phase of a ceasefire deal with Hamas took effect on Sunday, with 33 hostages to be released over the next six weeks. About 94 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, although some prisoners may have died.