The head of the Israeli army, Major General Herzi Halevi, has resigned. The reason was the army's failure during the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which caused the Gaza war, AFP reported.
In his resignation letter, released by the army, Halevi said he was leaving "due to the recognition of my responsibility for the military's failure on October 7," saying he was leaving at a time of "significant success" for the army.
Halevi noted that Israel had not achieved all of its military objectives in Gaza.
"Not all of the war's goals have been achieved. The army will continue to fight to continue to liquidate Hamas and its governing capacity, to secure the return of the hostages and to enable Israelis displaced by militant attacks to return to their homes," the general said.
Shortly after his statement, Major General Yaron Finkelman also resigned. He headed Israel's southern military command, which is responsible for Gaza.
The Hamas attack, the deadliest in Israel's history, left 1,210 people dead, mostly civilians.
It sparked a war that flattened much of Gaza. In the Hamas-ruled territories, 46 913 people have died, most of them civilians.
The attack, in which 251 people were taken hostage, traumatised Israelis and created an unprecedented crisis for the country's senior leadership.
Ninety-one hostages remain in captivity, and the military says 34 of them are dead.
At the start of the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to crush Hamas and bring home all the hostages.
On January 21, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Netanyahu to follow Halevi's example.
Congratulating the military chief on the withdrawal, Lapid added: "Now it is time for them to take responsibility and resign - the prime minister and his entire disastrous government." | BGNES
