Israel’s top general, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, has resigned, citing “terrible” security and intelligence failures related to the deadly October 7 attack on southern Israel. This marks the most senior Israeli official to resign over the security breakdown.
The attack, which killed at least 1,139 people, mostly civilians, was carried out by Hamas-led fighters who stormed from Gaza and attacked military bases, kibbutzim, and a music festival in southern Israel. Halevi oversaw Israel’s response to the attack, a devastating assault on the besieged Palestinian territory that has killed over 47,000 people.
In his resignation letter, Halevi said he was leaving at a time of “significant successes” for the military, but also acknowledged that not all of Israel’s war goals had been met. He expressed regret over the security failures and stated that they would haunt him for the rest of his life.
Halevi’s resignation comes as calls for a public inquiry into the October 7 failures grow louder. The move could add pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose leadership could be implicated in the security breakdowns.
The far-right government has been criticized for its handling of the crisis, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich praising Halevi’s military successes while also blaming him for the attack failures.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/21/israels-top-general-resigns-over-terrible-7-october-failures