Israel’s military has dismissed three generals and sanctioned several other senior officers for their roles in the security failures that allowed the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, the deadliest assault in the country’s history. The move follows growing public pressure and renewed scrutiny of the military and political leadership over their inability to prevent the unprecedented onslaught from Gaza.
The announcement, made in a military statement on Sunday, revealed that the generals fired included three divisional commanders, one of whom previously served as military intelligence chief. They were found to bear “personal responsibility” for the lapses that enabled Hamas militants to breach Israeli defences with devastating consequences.
Although the officers had already tendered their resignations, the army formalised their dismissal while also issuing disciplinary actions against the heads of the navy and air force. Four other generals and several senior officers were similarly sanctioned as part of what the military described as a wider accountability process.
The action comes two weeks after Israel’s military chief, Eyal Zamir, called for a comprehensive and “systemic investigation” into the failures surrounding the attack. His remarks contrasted with the hesitation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has resisted establishing a full state commission of inquiry until after the Gaza war.
Public opinion polls in Israel indicate strong support for an independent investigation to determine political and security responsibility for the failures of October 7. Whether Netanyahu will ultimately be held accountable remains a major point of national debate.
