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The Israeli Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamirannounced this Sunday the discharge of the armed forces of a dozen senior reservist commanders based on the Army’s internal investigations into the attacks of October 7, 2023. The Government, however, has assured that it will examine these expulsions despite the fact that Israel has still not convened a state commission to clarify responsibilities for the massacre committed by Hamas militiamen.
“I have decided to assign the comptroller of the Defense establishment, Brigadier General (reservist) Yair Wolansky, the task of thoroughly examining the report of the team led by General (reservist) Sami Turgeman,” the Minister of Defense responded this Monday, Israel Katzhours after Zamir announced the dismissals.
In a new clash between the Minister of Defense and the head of the Army, Katz has paralyzed for 30 days the appointments of new senior officials in the armed forces, until Wolansky presents his conclusions.
Israel Katz, Israeli Defense Minister, photographed during a visit to troops in southern Lebanon.
In the summer, Zamir and Katz clashed when the political leadership decided on the total invasion of Gaza, which the military opposed due to the possibility of there being hostages in the areas to be invaded. Furthermore, the two clashed in August when the head of the Army announced a series of appointments to senior positions without consulting the minister.
In his decision on Monday, Katz appealed to the Defense Comptroller (a division of this body that audits the Government, elected by Parliament) to go further, giving him the possibility of examine issues that Army investigations have not addressed.
Among them, Katz highlights the report Walls of Jerichoan investigation that came into the hands of the armed forces in 2022 (they dismissed it) and that warned of an attack very similar to the one carried out by Gazan militiamen on October 7, 2023, in which they murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped another 251 in Israeli territory.
Internal investigations
In March, Zamir appointed an “external” team, made up of military reservists and led by Sami Turgeman, to delve deeper into the Army’s internal investigations into October 7.
It concluded on November 10 that the Army’s investigations into the attack, along with another specific investigation into the Nova music festival massacre, were mostly “incomplete and unsatisfactory”. Only 10 out of 24 received a positive rating.
One of the topics investigated was the perception that the Army had had of Hamas in the last decade: there was a gap between the perspective of the armed forces (which They thought that the Islamists posed no threatthey had no interest in a war and lacked the resources and infrastructure for it) and reality.
He also studied the Army’s intelligence failure. Although he received reports (such as Walls of Jericho) warning of a possible Hamas attack, dismissed them considering it was something “unrealistic and unfeasible”.
The decisions made on the eve of October 7 were subjected to study. Despite the unusual activity that had been taking place on the Gazan side of the Strip border, it was not considered to precede an assault.
Finally, it investigated the operational failure between the day of the attack and October 10 (given the extent of the fighting). The Gaza Division was defeated in a matter of hours, after 767 soldiers had to face 5,000 invaders.
Zamir’s dismissals
Based on the committee’s conclusions, Zamir attributed personal responsibilities and dismissed a dozen from the armed forces and military reserve this Sunday, making it impossible for them to serve again. generals, vice admirals, colonels and lieutenants. Some of them had already resigned.
Among them are: Aharon Haliva (he led military intelligence and resigned on April 22, 2024), Avi Rosenfeld (Gaza Division, resigned June 9, 2024), Yosi Sariel (Military Intelligence Unit 8200, resigned on September 12, 2024), The Finkelman boy (Southern Command, resigned on January 21), and the head of the Shin Bet for southern Israel (who maintained his anonymity and resigned on July 10, 2024).
He also dismissed Oded Basyukdirector of the Directorate of Operations who asked to resign this March.
A reservist general, Oren Solomon, denounced on public radio Can that the Army investigations exclude the chiefs of the General Staff, both Herzi Halevi (in office on the day of the attack and who resigned on January 21) and the three who headed the armed forces in the years prior to October 7.
state commission
The prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “Not only did he avoid any investigation into his role in the debacle, he also avoided the investigation of the relevant positions in the Army command,” columnist Nehum Barnea wrote this Monday in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
While the internal investigations of the Army or the Shin Bet continue, the Government has not taken steps towards a state commission of investigation and Netanyahu has not taken responsibility for the attack.
On November 16, the Executive announced the creation of an “independent” commission, although this Saturday thousands of Israelis came out to demonstrate to demand that a state committee investigate the massacre.