Israeli army chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who attended a Memorial Day ceremony on May 13, 2024, at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl military cemetery, has announced his resignation.
Halevi, who has served as the Israeli military’s chief of staff for over two years, made his decision public on Tuesday, citing the military’s failure to prevent the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, Halevi confirmed his resignation will take effect on March 6.
He reiterated a promise made in the aftermath of the October 7 incident to take full responsibility for the military’s shortcomings.
“My responsibility for this terrible failure accompanies me every day and every hour. This will continue for the rest of my life,” Halevi wrote.
Following his announcement, the head of the Israeli military’s southern command, Yaron Finkelman, also resigned.
In response, opposition leader Avigdor Liberman of the Yisrael Beitenu party urged Netanyahu and his cabinet to emulate Halevi’s decision, calling on them to “take responsibility and follow in the footsteps of Halevi.”
Meanwhile, leader of the Jewish Power party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, praised Halevi’s resignation, stating, “I’m expecting the nomination of a strong and aggressive new chief of staff — one who will lead us to defeating Hamas.”
