Freeze on Appointments and Summoning Commanders: What is Happening in the Israeli Military?

The Israeli military is undergoing a series of high-level leadership decisions and actions related to the investigation into the events of October 7, 2023.

1. Defense Minister's Decisions

Channel 12 reported on Monday that Defense Minister Yisrael Katz issued two key decisions:

• Appointment Freeze: He froze all appointments in the Israeli military for 30 days.

• Committee Review: He ordered a review of the committee that handled the military's internal investigations into the October 7 attack.

2. Chief of Staff's Measures

The Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, announced leadership measures against several senior commanders due to their responsibility for the October 7 events.

• Leadership Measures: Zamir summoned the relevant commanders on Sunday and informed them of his decision to impose leadership measures on them.

• Admission of Failure: The IDF statement emphasized the "terrible and systematic failure" in its primary mission to protect civilians on October 7, stating this failure relates to "decisions and conduct on the eve of and during the event."

• Independent Review: Zamir decided to form an independent review team to examine the quality and comprehensiveness of the army's internal investigations.

• Goal of Actions: Zamir clarified that these "personal conclusions" are a "necessary step in the process of recovery and growth" to enhance trust, emphasizing: "We must ensure that the events of October 7 never happen again."