JERUSALEM — Israel’s top general resigned Tuesday, taking responsibility for security failures tied to Hamas’ surprise attack that triggered the war in Gaza and adding to pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has delayed any public inquiry that could potentially implicate his leadership.
While a fragile new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip held, Israel launched a “significant and broad” military operation in the occupied West Bank, killing at least nine people and injuring 40, Palestinian officials said.
Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi is the most senior Israeli figure to resign over the security and intelligence breakdown on Oct. 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led militants carried out a land, sea and air assault into southern Israel, rampaging through army bases and nearby communities.
The attack — the single deadliest on Israel in its history — killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants abducted another 250. More than 90 captives are still in Gaza, around a third believed to be dead.
Halevi’s resignation, effective March 6, came days into the ceasefire with Hamas that could lead to an end to the 15-month war and the return of remaining captives. Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of Israel’s Southern Command, which oversees operations in Gaza, also resigned.
Their resignations will likely add to calls for a public inquiry into the Oct. 7 failures, something Netanyahu has said must wait until the war is over. Halevi’s resignation letter noted that the military’s investigations into those failures were “currently in their final stages.”
And Halevi made his most explicit call yet for a public inquiry in comments to journalists, saying it would be “granted full transparency” by the military.
Halevi had appeared to be at odds with Israel’s new defense minister, Israel Katz, over the direction of the war. He said Israel had accomplished most of its goals, while Katz echoed Netanyahu’s vow to keep fighting until “total victory” over Hamas. Katz replaced the popular Yoav Gallant, who Netanyahu dismissed in a surprise announcement in November after growing disagreements over the war.
Netanyahu faces criticism from far-right allies over the ceasefire, which requires Israeli troops to pull back from populated areas in Gaza and envisions the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including ones convicted of involvement in deadly attacks on Israelis.
Hamas has already returned to the streets, showing that it remains in control of the territory despite the war killing tens of thousands of Palestinians — including some Hamas leaders — and causing widespread devastation.
The ceasefire’s first phase is to last for six weeks, with 33 hostages gradually released. Three hostages and 90 prisoners were released Sunday, when it took effect. The next release is Saturday. Talks on the far more difficult second phase begin in two weeks.
One of Netanyahu’s erstwhile partners, Itamar Ben-Gvir, quit the government on Sunday, weakening the coalition but still leaving Netanyahu with a parliamentary majority. Another far-right leader, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has threatened to leave if Israel does not resume the war after the ceasefire’s first phase.
Separately on Tuesday evening, Israel’s emergency rescue service said four people were stabbed and wounded in Tel Aviv in what police described as a terror attack. Police said the attacker, a 28-year old “foreign national,” was killed by security forces at the scene.
Israel’s military campaign has killed over 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health authorities, who say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities but do not say how many of the dead were fighters. Halevi on Tuesday said close to 20,000 militants had been killed, without providing evidence.
