Herzi Halevi's resignation was expected. It comes as the admission of an immense failure: That of having been unable to prevent the October 7 attack perpetrated by Hamas – the worst massacre in the country's history, with some 1,200 victims. "My responsibility for this terrible failure accompanies me each and every day, each and every hour, and will remain with me for the rest of my life," reads his resignation letter, published on Tuesday, January 21. He will leave his position on March 6.

The 57-year-old army chief, who had served 40 years in the army, had taken up the position in January 2023. He was the first high-ranking officer from an Orthodox Jewish background to reach the top ranks of the military establishment, a body in which the left has long been dominant. He was also the first in this position to reside in a West Bank settlement, located right on the edge of Israeli territory. Shortly after Halevi's statement, Yaron Finkelman, head of the army's Southern Command, under whose responsibility the Gaza Strip falls, also announced his resignation, for the same reasons, though he did not give a precise date for his departure.

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