Israel’s military has taken decisive action against several high-ranking officials, dismissing three generals and disciplining other senior officers, over their failure to prevent the devastating October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. This move comes two weeks after Military Chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir called for a systemic investigation into the failures that led to the onslaught, which is considered the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
The dismissed generals, who had already resigned from their posts, include divisional commanders and the former head of the southern command, General Yaron Finkelman. The military also announced disciplinary actions against the heads of the navy and air force, as well as four other generals and multiple senior officers. The decision follows a report by a committee of experts appointed by Zamir, which concluded that there was a “long-standing systemic and organisational failure” within the military apparatus.
The investigation highlighted an “intelligence failure” and “deficient decision-making processes and force deployment” during the attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people and sparked a devastating two-year war in Gaza. The Israeli military’s actions have sparked speculation about tensions between Zamir and Defence Minister Israel Katz, who has tasked the defence establishment’s comptroller with examining the report to determine if further investigations are needed.
