BAITULMAQDIS – New armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said during his inauguration Wednesday that Israel’s mission to defeat Palestinian Hamas was “not accomplished”.
“A very heavy responsibility rests on your shoulders, the results of the war will have significance for generations, we are determined to achieve… victory”, Netanyahu said.
The prime minister and the new military chief are well acquainted, as Zamir served under him as military adviser a decade ago.
“I recommended you twice (in the past)… and now a third time. Zamir’s time has come”, Netanyahu said.
A former tank commander, Zamir inherited command of the Israeli military at a sensitive time in Israel’s war with Hamas, with the ceasefire that took effect on January 19 hanging in the balance.
Zamir, 59, will also take over operations in the occupied West Bank, where the military has deployed tanks in recent weeks for the first time in 20 years.
Zamir replaces Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, who resigned admitting he failed to fulfil his mandate as armed forces chief.
The military has since released the findings of an internal investigation which acknowledged its “complete failure” to prevent the October 2023 attack. – AFP
