Israel’s Military Chief Has Announced He Is Resigning Over His Failure To Prevent Hamas’ Attack On Oct. 7

Herzi Halevi is the most senior Israeli figure to resign over Hamas’ attack that killed 1,139 Israelis and led to 250 Israelis being taken hostage.

Israel’s Military Chief Has Announced He Is Resigning Over His Failure To Prevent Hamas’ Attack On Oct. 7

Israel’s military chief, Herzi Halevi, has announced he will resign to take responsibility for the security failures that led to Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

This makes him the most senior Israeli figure to resign over Hamas’ attack that killed 1,139 Israelis and led to 250 Israelis being taken hostage.

Halevi had led Israel’s military response to the attack, launching a brutal assault on Gaza over 15 months that killed more than 47,000 Palestinians.

He also oversaw Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon, military operations in Syria and airstrikes in Iran.

In his letter of resignation on Tuesday, Jan. 21, the 57-year-old general said he had failed “to protect the citizens of Israel” and would step down on March 6.

"My responsibility for the terrible failure accompanies me every day, hour by hour, and will do so for the rest of my life," he added.

He said he was resigning at this time as the military had seen “significant success” and that hostages had begun to come home as part of the ceasefire deal with Hamas, which went into effect on Sunday, Jan. 19.

However, he added that not all of Israel’s war goals had been met.

“The army will continue to fight to further dismantle Hamas and its governing capabilities, ensure the return of the hostages”, and enable Israelis displaced by militant attacks to return home, he said.

Opposition leaders have welcomed Halevi’s resignation and call on Netanyahu and other members of his government to also take responsibility and resign.

Halevi’s resignation comes after at least three ministers, including far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, resigned from the government to protest the ceasefire deal in Gaza on Jan. 19.

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