‘The Immense Responsibility Placed Upon Me’: IDF Installs First New Chief of Staff Since Hamas Massacre of October 2023

Latest Developments

IDF Shake-Up in Wake of October 7 Failures: Eyal Zamir, a former deputy chief of staff of the IDF and director-general of Israel’s Defense Ministry, became Israel’s 24th top general on March 5, succeeding Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. In a speech, Zamir pledged to bring Israel to “total victory” in the now almost 17-month-old multi-front war and to recover the remaining hostages held captive by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. “I assume command of the IDF today with reverence and humility,” Zamir declared. “I am fully aware of the immense responsibility placed upon me.” Halevi resigned in January over the failure to anticipate or prevent the October 7, 2023, mass assault by Hamas. Other top Israeli officers have also resigned since the massacre, among them Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the head of IDF of military intelligence, and Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, the head of the IDF’s Southern Command.
Wartime Ceremony: Given the ongoing war with Iran’s proxies, the handover ceremony was conducted with little pageantry, and, unusually, both generals wore utility rather than dress uniforms. Zamir, 59, rose through the IDF Armored Corps and will be the first IDF chief of staff to wear the tankers’ signature black beret. His predecessors in recent decades, including Halevi, have more commonly been veterans of IDF special forces units.
‘A Heavy Responsibility’: At the ceremony, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Zamir, his former military secretary, “A very heavy responsibility rests on your shoulders, the results of the war will have significance for generations. We are determined to achieve … victory.” Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Zamir doesn’t have “even one minute of grace” in meeting Israel’s various national security challenges, adding that Halevi’s “ceiling is your floor.” Others in attendance included CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael Kurilla, who said he was “looking forward to working with” Zamir.

FDD Expert Response

“The October 7 disaster was a game-changer for Israel, and Lt. Gen. Zamir’s appointment heralds a much-needed overhaul of the IDF. He will be tasked with bringing a tanker’s respect for the traditional might of fire and steel, as well as the discipline needed to keep a conscript military vigilant. His most recent position as the top bureaucrat at the Defense Ministry also means he has valuable and active channels of communication with the Pentagon regarding force buildup. Zamir is a fearless warrior and exactly the leader Israel needs to defend its people against the evil threatening it on multiple fronts.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“Chief of Staff Zamir faces challenges that many of his predecessors did not. These include securing the return of all hostages from Gaza, preventing Hamas from rebuilding its military infrastructure, stopping Hezbollah from rearming, and — most critically — thwarting a nuclear Iran. These are just a few of the threats Israel faces. Nevertheless, Zamir has the tools to succeed, and Israel’s strong support from the United States only strengthens his position.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal