Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed retired Major General Eyal Zamir as Israel's new Chief of Staff on Saturday, following the resignation of his predecessor last month, who took responsibility for failing to prevent Hamas's October 2023 attack.
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have agreed this evening on the appointment of Major General (Res.) Eyal Zamir as the next Chief of Staff of the Israeli military," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
Zamir replaces Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, who resigned on January 21, two days after a fragile ceasefire took effect in Gaza, which has since led to the release of 18 hostages by Hamas and its ally, Islamic Jihad.
Zamir, 59, has served as the Director General of the Defense Ministry since 2023. According to Israeli media, he retired from the military after losing out on the top job to Halevi.
Zamir had previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff until 2021 and, before that, as head of the army's Southern Command, which is responsible for Gaza.
As head of Southern Command, Zamir led efforts to "thwart offensive terror tunnels penetrating from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory," according to the Defense Ministry.
Halevi stated in his resignation letter that he was stepping down "due to my acknowledgment of responsibility for the military's failure on October 7, 2023," but added that he was leaving during a time of "significant successes."
Shortly after Halevi's announcement, the wartime head of Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, also resigned over the military's failings in 2023.
With AFP
Comments