Report: Israel army chief plans to resign by December over 7 Oct failures

As the wave of resignations continued in Israel, local media reported yesterday that Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has set a December deadline to submit his resignation for failing to prevent the 7 October infiltration into Israel by Palestinian resistance factions, Anadolu agency reported.

Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster said Halevi decided to step down at the end of this year, pending the conclusion of investigations into the Israeli military’s failure to respond effectively to the attack.

According to the report, Halevi disclosed his plan to step down during a conversation with his associates.

By late December, Tel Aviv is expected to complete its investigations into the army’s failure to stop the events of 7 October, the report added, adding that the army is also expected to have completed its preparations for an all-out war with Lebanon.

Halevi’s possible resignation comes after Brigadier General Yossi Sariel, the commander of the Israeli army’s intelligence Unit 8200, announced his resignation over his failure to prevent the events of 7 October, according to Israeli media.

Read: Israel army opens probe into its failures on 7 October

Sariel is one of seven top officials, including the Israeli army’s senior officials, who resigned after facing criticism from various quarters for failing to protect people.

Sariel was appointed as the unit commander in February 2021, the Israeli website Walla said.

In the last three months, the Israeli army’s Gaza Division commander, Brigadier General Avi Rosenfeld, the head of the Shin Bet security agency’s Southern District, and an intelligence officer in the Gaza division have all resigned.

On 3 September, Tamir Yadai, the chief of the Israeli army’s ground forces, resigned for “personal reasons” after three years in the post.