JERUSALEM — Israel's top general resigned Tuesday, taking responsibility for security lapses linked to Hamas's surprise attack that sparked the war in Gaza. This has increased pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has postponed any public investigation that could potentially implicate his leadership.
As a fragile new ceasefire held in the Gaza Strip, Israel launched a “significant and broad” military operation in the occupied West Bank, killing at least nine people and wounding 40, Palestinian officials said.
Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi is the highest-ranking Israeli figure to resign over the collapse of the security and intelligence services on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led militants carried out a land, sea and air assault on southern Israel, killing them swept through the army. bases and nearby communities.
The attack – the deadliest on Israel in its history – killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants kidnapped another 250. There are still more than 90 prisoners in Gaza, of whom it is believed that around one third death.
Halevi's resignation, which took effect on March 6, marked the start of a ceasefire with Hamas that could lead to an end to the 15-month war and the return of the remaining prisoners. Major General Yaron Finkelman, head of Israel's Southern Command, which oversees operations in Gaza, also resigned.
Their resignation will likely add to calls for a public inquiry into the October 7 failures, something Netanyahu has said must wait until the war is over. Halevi's resignation letter noted that the military investigation into these failures was “currently in its final stages.”
And Halevi, in comments to journalists, made his most explicit call yet for a public inquiry, saying the military would provide “full transparency.”
Halevi appeared to disagree with Israel's new Defense Minister, Israel Katz, over the direction of the war. He said Israel has achieved most of its goals, while Katz reiterated Netanyahu's pledge to keep fighting until a “total victory” over Hamas. Katz replaced the popular Yoav Gallant, who Netanyahu fired in a surprise announcement in November after mounting disagreements over the war.
Netanyahu has faced criticism from far-right allies over the ceasefire, which requires Israeli troops to withdraw from populated areas in Gaza and calls for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those convicted of involvement in deadly attacks on Israelis.
Hamas has already returned to the streets, demonstrating that it remains in control of the area even as the war has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians – including some Hamas leaders – and caused widespread destruction.
The first phase of the ceasefire will last six weeks, with the gradual release of 33 hostages. Three hostages and 90 prisoners were released on Sunday when the measure came into effect. The next release is Saturday. Discussions about the much more difficult second phase will start in two weeks.
One of Netanyahu's former partners, Itamar Ben-Gvir, quit the government on Sunday, weakening the coalition but still leaving Netanyahu with a parliamentary majority. Another far-right leader, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has threatened to leave if Israel does not resume the war after the first phase of the ceasefire.
Separately, Israel's emergency services said on Tuesday evening that four people were stabbed and injured in Tel Aviv in what police described as a terror attack. Police said the attacker, a 28-year-old “foreign national,” was killed by security forces on the spot.
More than 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in Israel's military campaign, according to local health authorities. They say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities, but do not say how many of the dead were fighters. Halevi said on Tuesday that nearly 20,000 militants had been killed, without providing evidence.
