Israel has ordered the firing of three military generals and disciplinary charges against numerous more top officers for failing to prevent Hamas’ October 2023 attack, the worst in the country’s history.
The move comes two weeks after Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir called for a “systemic investigation” into the lapses that led to the attack, even as the government stalled on forming a state commission of inquiry in the face of public outrage.
Three divisional commanders were among the generals removed; one of them was also the military intelligence chief at the time.
A military statement issued on Sunday claimed they accepted personal responsibility for the armed services’ failure to thwart Hamas’ attack from the Gaza Strip.
The firing comes after all three resigned from their positions, including General Yaron Finkelman, the former chief of the Southern Command.
Disciplinary actions were also announced against the navy and air force commanders, as well as four other generals and other senior officers.
It is unclear whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be held accountable for his part in the failure to avert the Hamas attack.
For the past two years, Netanyahu has consistently stated that the failures that led to the October 7 strikes should be addressed after the Gaza conflict is over.
According to polls, a vast majority of Israelis across the political spectrum support the initiation of an investigation to uncover who is to blame for the authorities’ inability to prevent the attack.
So yet, Netanyahu’s government has declined to set up such a commission.
In October 2023, Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,221 people and sparking a terrible two-year war in Gaza.
The UN considers Israel’s retaliatory assault on Gaza to have killed at least 69,756 people, according to reliable health ministry figures.
Earlier this month, a committee of experts appointed by military chief Zamir published a report on the army’s internal investigations into the October 7 attacks, concluding that there had been a “long-standing systemic and organizational failure” within the military apparatus.
The military issued a statement on behalf of Chief of Staff Zamir, stating that “the decision to cast doubt on the report…is puzzling.”
“The IDF (military) is the only body in the country that has thoroughly investigated its own failures and taken responsibility for them. If any further examination is required to complete the picture, it must take the form of an external, objective, and independent commission,” the statement added.
According to Israeli media, the comments were the latest point of contention between Zamir and Katz, who have previously disagreed on how to carry out the fight against Hamas.
On Monday, Israel’s military said it shot three terrorists who had crossed the so-called Yellow Line, an area to which its troops had retreated in compliance with a cease-fire agreement signed last month.
The military said two of those slain approached forces near the southern city of Khan Yunis, where the territory’s civil defense agency reported two Palestinians killed by a drone attack.
Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis confirmed receiving two bodies and three injured Palestinians, one of whom was in severe condition.
According to Mahmud Bassal, a civil defense official, another individual was killed by tank fire in Gaza City.
Mohammad Abu Salmiya, director of Shifa Hospital, reported receiving the body and other individuals injured in the incident.
Hamas often accuses Israel of extending the Yellow Line into territory it controls, claiming that this violates the ceasefire agreement.
The militant group stated on Monday that a “high-level leadership delegation” has been in Cairo for the past two days, meeting with mediators to settle on terms for the second phase of a US-brokered truce that began on October 10.
