Sign of war’s end? Israeli military chief orders committee on citations for Gaza war heroes

Defense Minister Israel Katz separately instructed Zamir to prepare recommendations for awarding the Medal of Valor, Israel’s highest military honor.

By Ehud Amiton, TPS

Israeli military Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Thursday that the army will establish a special committee to determine whether soldiers should receive citations for their conduct on and after October 7, in what may be the clearest sign yet that the security establishment considers the war in Gaza to be nearing its end.

“Out of our commitment, we have conducted investigations of the battles and presented them to the communities,” Zamir said during a ceremony at the Nahal Oz base marking the Hebrew anniversary of the Hamas onslaught.

“We continue to study, examine, and implement the lessons. The IDF will not repeat the mistakes of the past.”

He said the new committee will review acts of bravery during the fighting.

“From the collapse and loss also grew many stories of heroism, which we must cherish, and therefore we will establish a citations committee,” Zamir said.

Defense Minister Israel Katz separately instructed Zamir to prepare recommendations for awarding the Medal of Valor, Israel’s highest military honor, “for exceptional acts of heroism, courage, and exemplary conduct” during the war.

“In this difficult campaign, we were exposed to extraordinary stories of heroism by men and women who fought with dedication and saved many lives,” Katz said. “Our national and moral duty is to honor these acts.”

The Medal of Valor has been awarded only 40 times since Israel’s founding, most recently in 1975 for actions during the Yom Kippur War. Zamir is expected to submit his recommendations within 90 days.