IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi held a press conference on Sunday in which he discussed the strike targeting Hamas militant wing commander Mohammed Deif.
"We are determined to continue and pursue Hamas leaders, who planned the massacre and dedicated their lives to murdering innocents. Deif was afraid of dying and therefore hid in a way that harmed his ability to command. He hid and sacrificed his people and civilians who were around him, a few were harmed," Halevi stated.
He added: "These eliminations are part of the pressure which the IDF applies in all parts of Gaza. Every time, Hamas has a lot of dead. It is vital for the creation of the conditions for a deal to bring back the hostages. The agreement which is a moral and ethical command, is urgent for saving lives. We will know how to contend with any deal that will be approved by the political echelon and to return to fighting with might."
Regarding the inquiry into the failures on October 7th in Kibbutz Be'eri, Halevi stated: "At this time, we are investigating the events of October 7th and what led to them. It is a vital process to learn, correct, and most importantly ensure the safe return of the southern residents to their homes. Last week, we presented the inquiry into the battle in Kibbutz Be'eri to the Kibbutz community and to the bereaved families. There were reasons for which we presented this inquiry first - controversial events during this battle kept many people awake at night. This is a vital step in rebuilding the southern communities' trust in the IDF, and it passes through a true, in-depth, and professional investigation as we did."
According to him "the inquiry's findings were difficult and painful. Along with that, we found many manifestations of heroism and courage by many residents, soldiers, and commanders, who defended the kibbutz with their bodies while boundlessly risking their lives. For the soldiers who fought on October 7th, I have nothing but tremendous appreciation. I salute them and the bravery that they displayed for hours of fighting, in very difficult conditions and in the face of great challenges. Within such complex fighting, mistakes were made, decisions, some fateful, were made, and we learned and we will learn from them. It is impossible to act in such a reality without making mistakes. I am very proud to be in command of these soldiers and commanders. All of the heroic acts that they did are theirs; in all their mistakes, I have a part."
Halevi clarified that "there is no aspect of the military's conduct that was not investigated and we will share with the public as much as possible, this includes the intelligence concepts, the operational concepts, the defense response, decision making on the night before the attack, and the conduct of the senior IDF staff and my own. All these are in the process of a deep and thorough investigation. The remarks that someone in the IDF knew what would happen that morning and hit it are baseless. Unfortunately, there was not a soldier or commander in the IDF who knew what would happen on the morning of October 7th. We are thoroughly investigating the warnings that did exist."
He emphasized that the military will cooperate with an inquiry commission if one is created. "The aim of the operational inquiry was first and foremost to learn and correct and is not a substitute for an external investigatory mechanism when it will be established. It is needless to say that we will fully cooperate with such a mechanism and the operational inquiries could contribute greatly as was in past wars. When we complete the inquiry, we will have an encompassing picture, then we can conclude all the lessons learned and the personal conclusions.
On a personal level, Halevi commented on calls for his resignation: "I was never stuck to my seat and I never coveted power. I will make decisions after the inquiries."