Netanyahu appoints Eyal Zamir as new "Israeli" army Chief of Staff

"Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the appointment of Major General Eyal Zamir as the new Chief of Staff for the Israel Occupation Forces (IOF) on Saturday, following the resignation of former general Herzi Halevi, as reported by Anadolu Agency (AA).

The Prime Minister's office released a statement confirming the agreement between Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz regarding Zamir's new position.

Currently serving as the director general of the Defense Ministry, Zamir will officially take over his duties when Halevi’s resignation becomes effective on March 6.

Halevi stepped down last month, attributing his decision to shortcomings in response to the Oct. 7, 2023 events. On January 21, he formally announced his resignation, acknowledging that the military had not fully met its objectives in the aggression on Gaza and accepting responsibility for failing to prevent the attack.

In a televised address, Halevi expressed the weight of his decision, stating, “My responsibility for this failure haunts me day by day, hour by hour, and will remain with me for the rest of my life.”

He added, “We failed on Oct. 7 in defense and offense,” emphasizing the need for internal military investigations into the failures, which are anticipated to be completed by the end of January.