Falcon powers – Israeli Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Hertzi Halevi, stated in a ceremony commemorating “Israel’s Wars” that as the leader of the army, he takes full responsibility for the Israeli army’s failure to protect citizens on October 7. He expressed that he feels the weight of responsibility on his shoulders every day and fully understands its significance.
Halevi stated, “As the commander of the Israeli army during the war, I bear the responsibility for the army’s failure in its mission to protect the citizens of Israel on October 7. I feel its weight on my shoulders every day, and in my heart, I fully comprehend its meaning.” He continued, “I am the leader who sent your sons and daughters to the battle from which they did not return and to the positions from which they were captured.”
He added, “I carry the memory of the fallen every day, and I am responsible for answering the piercing questions that keep you awake. In this war, we are determined to complete the mission, despite being aware of the cost,” he expressed.
This comes amid tensions between the government and the military in Israel due to the ongoing war in Gaza and the failure to decisively end it, particularly after Hamas forces returned to areas in the Gaza Strip that the Israeli army had previously entered and declared control over before withdrawing. Reports have circulated in the past two days about the military’s demand for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make strategic decisions regarding the continuation of the war and the future of the sector.
The military states that it is paying a “heavy price” by returning to areas such as Jabalia camp and the Zaytoun neighborhood after having entered and withdrawn from them. In this context, it refers to the killing of five soldiers last weekend. Military leaders are calling for a political plan to provide an alternative authority to Hamas in the Gaza Strip, while the political leadership believes that a substitute authority cannot be put in place in Gaza as long as the army has not completed its mission of eliminating Hamas.
On Sunday, Israeli media reported that 1,538 Israeli soldiers and civilians have been killed since the Hamas attack on Israeli towns and military sites surrounding the besieged Gaza Strip on October 7. It should be noted that the official toll announced by the Israeli army regarding its casualties since the Hamas attack stands at 620 deaths.
Israel commemorates its soldiers who were killed in wars and battles since 1948, as well as civilians who were killed in “hostile acts” on Sunday and Monday, known as “Memorial Day.” According to data from the Israeli Ministry of Defense, 716 security personnel have been killed since the start of the war on Gaza (642 from the army, 68 from the police, and 6 from the Shin Bet), while 822 civilians have been killed.
