Israeli chief of staff expected to resign: Reports

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi is expected to "resign in the coming period," local media reported Saturday.

After the Monday resignation of the country's head of military intelligence Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, it became clear that all officers responsible for failing to predict the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian group Hamas would "go home, starting with the Chief of Staff," private broadcaster Channel 12 said.

It said many officers have sought legal representation "in preparation for war investigations."

The report claimed that Haliva had written his resignation letter to the Chief of Staff after receiving legal advice "assuming that all of his statements would also be presented to the investigation committee when it was formed."

Haliva is the first in a series of commanders who "will be forced to retire in the near future," it suggested, listing several other officers, including Head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency Ronen Bar.

Concerns are rising over what Halevi's replacement will mean for the security and political systems, the channel added.

It said that many commanders who were once seen as potential successors, including Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman and Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano, are now "seen as part of the failure."

Political circles now expect Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the director general of the Defense Ministry, to succeed Halevi, according to the source.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv said killed less than 1,200 people.

Nearly 34,400 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 77,400 injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi