Israeli military sacks several generals over October 7 attack

Israel's military announced the dismissal of three generals and disciplinary actions against several other senior officers for their failure to prevent the October 2023 assault by Hamas.

The move comes two weeks after Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir called for a "systemic investigation” into the failures that led to the onslaught, even as the government hesitated to establish a state commission of inquiry despite public pressure.

The list of generals fired included three divisional commanders, one of whom was then serving as the military intelligence chief.

A military statement released on Sunday said that all three individuals bear personal responsibility for the armed forces' failure to prevent the attack launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip.

The firing comes after all three had already resigned from their positions, including the former head of the southern command, General Yaron Finkelman.

Disciplinary actions were also taken against the heads of the navy and air force, along with measures against four other generals and several senior officers.

It remains to be seen whether or not Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will also be held responsible for a role in the failure to prevent the Hamas attack.

For the past two years, Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that the failures leading to the October 7 attacks should be addressed after the war in Gaza ends.

According to polls, many Israelis across the political spectrum support creating an inquiry to find out who is responsible for the authorities' failure to prevent the attack.

Netanyahu's government has so far refused to form such a commission.

Hamas's attack on southern Israel in October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people and triggered a devastating two-year war in Gaza.

Israel's retaliatory attack on Gaza has resulted in at least 69,756 deaths, according to figures from the health ministry that the UN considers reliable.

Earlier this month, a report by a committee of experts appointed by the military chief Zamir was published, marking the end of the army's internal investigations into the October 7 attacks.

The report concluded that there had been a "long-standing systemic and organizational failure" within the military apparatus.

The investigation also highlighted the military's "intelligence failure" regarding its "inability to raise the alarm" over the attacks — despite the army possessing "exceptional, high-quality information."

It also deplored "deficient decision-making processes and force deployment during the night of October 7, 2023" and highlighted failures throughout the military’s chain of command.

Israel's Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, said on Monday that he had assigned the defense establishment's comptroller, Yair Wolansky, to review the report to see if further investigations are necessary.

After the announcement, Israeli media were filled with speculation that the comments marked the latest point of tension between Zamir and Katz, who have previously clashed over how to handle the war against Hamas in Gaza.

Inside Gaza on Monday, Israel's military stated that its troops shot three militants who had crossed the so-called Yellow Line, behind which its troops retreated under the ceasefire agreement reached last month.

Hamas frequently accuses Israel of moving the Yellow Line further into the territory it controls, calling it a breach of the ceasefire agreement.

The militant group announced on Monday that a "high-level leadership delegation" has been in Cairo for the past two days, meeting with mediators to negotiate terms for the second phase of a U.S.-brokered truce that started on October 10.