Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday appointed retired Major General Eyal Zamir as the new chief of staff of the country’s armed forces.
Zamir, who previously served as deputy chief of staff from 2018 to 2021, will replace Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, who announced his resignation last month, taking responsibility for the security lapses that led to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Halevi is set to leave office on March 6.
A statement from Netanyahu’s office confirmed the appointment, stating that the prime minister and Defence Minister Israel Katz had reached a consensus on Zamir’s leadership.
Zamir, a veteran of 28 years in the Israeli military, formerly headed the Southern Command, which oversees operations along the Gaza border. He has also served as Netanyahu’s military secretary in the past.
His appointment comes at a critical time, with Israel engaged in a prolonged military offensive in Gaza, ongoing clashes in Lebanon, and recent airstrikes from Iran, Iraq, and Yemen.
In addition to the Gaza conflict, the Israeli military has conducted large-scale operations in the northern occupied West Bank in recent weeks and has reportedly occupied parts of Syria since late December.
Despite widespread criticism of the government’s handling of the October 7 attack, Netanyahu’s administration has so far resisted calls to launch a formal state inquiry into the security failures that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the capture of around 250 hostages.
Halevi, in his statement on Saturday, congratulated Zamir on his appointment and pledged a smooth transition of command.
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