Hamas ‘not yet defeated,’ says Israeli military’s new chief of staff, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, vowing to complete ‘the mission.’
By Pesach Benson, TPS
Amid calls for a commission of inquiry into the failures of October 7th, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir was installed as Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces in a ceremony at the military’s Tel Aviv headquarters on Wednesday.
“The task, which I am receiving today, is clear: Lead the IDF to victory,” Zamir said in his address after being conferred with his new rank.
“On the morning of October 7th, the IDF failed in its mission. The border was breached. Our enemies penetrated our communities, slaughtered our people, our children, our women, and our brothers,” said Zamir.
“From the rift, the people of Israel rose and once again proved their strength and unity in moments of testing. Civilians and soldiers, strove for contact, charged and fought individually and in small units, and even paid with their lives.”
“They proved to us that we are brothers. The IDF achieved impressive achievements on the battlefield. We won battles in Gaza and Lebanon, attacked in Yemen and Iran. The murderous terrorist organization, Hamas, has indeed suffered a severe blow, but it has not yet been defeated. The mission is not yet complete,” he added.
At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 59 remaining hostages, 36 are believed to be dead.
Following the ceremony, Zamir and his predecessor, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Demands for a Commission of Inquiry
Zamir’s promotion comes amid increasing calls for a state commission of inquiry.
Such commissions have broader authority to summon witnesses and collect evidence and are headed by a senior Supreme Court justice.
They may include personal recommendations about individuals under investigation, though the government is not bound to act on them. Critics accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of delaying the inquiry and trying to water down the powers of a commission.
Pressed by lawmakers to explain why no state commission of inquiry has been established into the failures of October 7 after 17 months, Netanyahu said on Monday he opposed a “politically biased” panel. His remarks were marred by scuffles that broke out between bereaved families and Knesset guards.
According to a series of army probes, some 5,000 terrorists from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad managed to attack numerous Israeli communities and overrun the army’s border positions.
The army’s chain of command broke amid the chaos and soldiers were outnumbered.
For years, the army misunderstood Hamas’s intentions, and as October 7 approached, intelligence about the looming attack was misinterpreted. The military was also more focused on threats from Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the probes found.
The army’s investigations only deal with issues of operations, intelligence and command, not decisions made by the political echelon.
Halevi announced his resignation in January as the army’s investigations were nearing completion.
The IDF Chief of Staff serves for three years with the possibility of a one-year extension. The last chief of staff to leave the post before the end of his term was Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz, who resigned in 2007 over IDF failures during the Second Lebanon War of 2006.
From Armored Corps to Chief of Staff
Zamir, 59, was born and raised in Eilat. He is the first Chief of Staff to begin his career in the Armored Corps.
After joining the army in 1984 he became a tank commander, gradually climbing the ranks. He was eventually appointed as Netanyahu’s military secretary from 2012-2015. From 2018 to 2021, he was deputy chief of staff before becoming a visiting research fellow at the Washington-based Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Zamir was also considered for the Chief of Staff in 2018 and 2022. In 2023, he was appointed Director General of the Defense Ministry.
He also has degrees from Tel Aviv and Haifa Universities and is a graduate of Wharton University’s General Management Program.
