Less than three weeks in the role, new IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, had a first public clash with Defense Minister Israel Katz on Monday over the investigation of a senior reserves officer for alleged “severe” security violations.

Katz put out a statement saying he sought to meet with Brig. Gen. (res.) Oren Solomon, an officer who was responsible for the Gaza Division’s probe into its failures related to Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, after he was booted from reserve duty and put under investigation by the Military Police.

Solomon’s investigation, which has not yet been made public, reportedly found fault in the higher echelons of the military. Many other IDF probes have come to similar conclusions.

Channel 12 news reported last week that Solomon, a member of the hawkish HaBithonistim group, told associates that he believes he was removed from reserve duty because he found fault in the IDF’s top command.

The army said last week that Solomon worked on the probe for a year with full support and that the end of his reserve service is unrelated to the probe, which is ongoing.

On Monday, the IDF said that a Military Police investigation was opened into “severe operational security violations” by the officer. After an initial examination of the findings, Solomon was called in for questioning, which he showed up to. He was not arrested, the military said.

“The investigation is in its early stages and it is not possible to comment on the actions taken,” the IDF added.

Katz in his statement said he “instructed Brig. Gen. (res.) Oren Solomon to be summoned to me as soon as possible so that he can present me with the investigation he conducted into October 7, which I have not yet seen.”

“The fact that Brig. Gen. Solomon, who carried out with permission and authority an investigation… that criticized the senior IDF echelon, is called in for interrogation is puzzling. I intend to ask the chief of staff to examine the conduct of the Military Advocate General,” Katz said.

Katz added that “it cannot be perceived that Military Police investigations are a tool for silencing internal criticism in the IDF.”

Zamir hit back at Katz for instructing him via a statement to the media to examine the conduct of the Military Advocate General.

“The chief of staff does not receive instructions through media announcements,” Zamir said in a statement released by the IDF.

“The claim that the officer was being investigated because of his part in the October 7 investigations is false and unfounded,” he said.

“The officer was summoned for questioning on suspicion of serious operational security violations. The investigation will continue to be conducted professionally,” Zamir said.

“I support the IDF’s law enforcement bodies, which are acting in accordance with the law to investigate suspicions, as required,” he added.

The military has said that the Gaza Division’s probe would be presented to the relevant communities and the public when finished, as all probes are.

Katz repeatedly publicly clashed with Zamir’s predecessor Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, as well as other senior officers, including outgoing IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari and Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder.