Top Israeli General Resigns, Citing Failures in Hamas Attack

Israel’s top military commander, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, has resigned, accepting responsibility for what he called “terrible” security and intelligence failures that allowed the deadly Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Al Jazeera reports.

Halevi’s resignation is the most senior departure of an Israeli official in the wake of the unprecedented assault, which saw thousands of Hamas fighters breach the border from Gaza, killing at least 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and taking roughly 250 hostages.

Halevi, who has overseen Israel’s military response in Gaza, acknowledged that under his command the military “failed in its mission to defend the State of Israel” on that day.

“My responsibility for the terrible failure accompanies me every day, hour by hour, and will do so for the rest of my life,” he said in his resignation letter to Defence Minister Israel Katz,

Despite taking responsibility for the initial security lapse, Halevi also emphasized the “significant achievements” of the military in the ensuing war against Hamas. While acknowledging that “not all” of Israel’s war aims have been met, he described the present time as one of “significant successes.”

The October 7 attack and the subsequent military campaign in Gaza have been devastating. According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 47,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israel’s retaliation. The offensive has also led to the destruction of a significant portion of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, and restrictions on humanitarian aid have triggered warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Adding to the fallout, Major General Yaron Finkelman, head of Israel’s Southern Command, also tendered his resignation shortly after Halevi’s announcement. The resignations could further fuel calls for a public inquiry into the security failures of October 7, a move Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted, stating that any investigation should wait until the end of the war.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid praised Halevi’s decision and called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to follow suit. Defence Minister Katz thanked Halevi for his service and said he would continue to perform his duties until a replacement is found. Netanyahu also officially accepted Halevi’s resignation.

Halevi was often criticized by far-right figures in Netanyahu’s government, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. However, Smotrich praised the military’s achievements in dismantling Hamas’ military capabilities during the ongoing conflict, while still placing some blame for the October 7 attack on Halevi.

Halevi’s departure comes three days after a long-awaited ceasefire agreement took effect, pausing the 15-month war and allowing for the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The first phase of this agreement, slated to last six weeks, will see 33 hostages released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. On Sunday, three hostages and 90 prisoners were released under the agreement. However, more than 90 hostages remain captive in Gaza, with Israeli officials believing about a third to be dead.