The Israeli military chief announced on Tuesday he was resigning over the “failure” to prevent the surprise attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi wrote in a letter he planned on stepping down as head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on March 6.
He is the most senior Israeli official to resign as a result of the cross-border attack by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas, which left some 1,200 people dead and another 250 kidnapped and held in the Gaza Strip.
“As a result of my responsibility for the IDF’s failure on October 7, and at a time when the military has recorded exceptional achievements in restoring Israel’s deterrence and strength, I wish to conclude my tenure on March 6, 2025,” the letter from the top general said.
A short time later, General Jaron Finkelman, who is responsible for the IDF’s Southern Command and also the border with the Gaza Strip, also announced his resignation.
A large segment of the Israeli population believes long-time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the person ultimately responsible for the military and intelligence lapses that failed to avert the atrocity, but he has steadfastly refused step down.
The attack by Iranian-backed Hamas triggered a massive Israeli military response that led to 15 months of war in Gaza. A fragile ceasefire went into effect on Sunday after months of stalled negotiations.
The Hamas-controlled health authority on Tuesday put the death toll in the Palestinian territory at 47,107, with 68 bodies recovered from the rubble in the coastal strip within 24 hours.
More aid trucks enter Gaza
Around 280 trucks delivered additional humanitarian aid and fuel from Egypt to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the third day of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Trucks first entered the Palestinian territory via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. They are then directed to the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing on the Israeli border, where the cargo is inspected and cleared for distribution within Gaza.
Among the trucks to enter on Tuesday were 25 carrying fuel, a representative of the Egyptian Red Crescent told dpa.
Since the ceasefire began on Sunday, more than 1,700 aid trucks have crossed from Egypt to the Gaza Strip, according to the representative.
Approximately 4,000 additional trucks are ready to gradually enter the area. For the first time in 270 days, ambulances are also waiting to transport injured Palestinians.
The ceasefire deal not only pauses the fighting and allows a massive ramp up in badly needed aid deliveries, it also outlines the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
The first swap occurred on Sunday, when three October 7 hostages held by Hamas were traded for 90 Palestinians jailed in Israel.
Another exchange is expected take place this coming weekend.
During this first phase of the ceasefire, a total of 1,904 Palestinian prisoners are to be released in exchange for 33 of the 94 remaining hostages. Israel believes at least 35 of the hostages are dead.
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