IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Sunday responded to the recent dismissal of top IDF officers who bear responsibility for the October 7 massacre.
Addressing Israel's populace, he began: "Citizens of Israel, IDF soldiers- as I assumed the position of Chief of the General Staff, two urgent missions stood before me: The first - to lead the IDF to decisive victory in a multi-arena war, and in doing so - to remove existential threats and return the hostages. The second - to strengthen the public’s trust in the IDF and to ensure that the events of October 7th never happen again."
"The IDF is committed to a thorough, professional, and in-depth inquiry of everything that occurred on that terrible day, and as part of that obligation, I have taken a series of steps to advance the issue, including the establishment of an independent review team to examine the inquiries and their findings.
"Today I wish to present to you the steps that I have decided to take, following processes I have carried out, in my capacity as the Chief of the General Staff of the IDF. My conclusions present an unequivocal picture: the IDF failed in its primary mission on October 7th - to protect the civilians of the State of Israel. This is a severe, resounding, systemic failure, relating to decisions and conduct on the eve of the event and during it. The lessons of that day are numerous and significant, and they must serve as our compass for the future toward which I intend to lead the IDF."
Zamir continued, "Accordingly, I have decided, after careful consideration, to draw personal conclusions regarding commanders holding certain positions who served on October 7th. This decision is complex and stems from my responsibility to balance organizational and command considerations with the needs of the IDF during a volatile period with threats across all arenas.""
"My subordinates, it is not easy to make decisions that affect people I appreciate and who dedicated their lives to the security of the nation; people with whom I fought side by side for many years. Alongside that, before my eyes is the obligation to set a clear standard of command responsibility. This is not responsibility we take upon ourselves, but responsibility we bear by virtue of being commanders in the IDF. If we do not sharpen the meaning of responsibility, trust in the system will erode. This trust is the foundation of our ability to fight, to win, and to defend the State of Israel."
Regarding recent developments along Israel's various fronts, he said, "The IDF continues to operate and strike daily across all arenas. We may be required to return to combat in arenas in which we have already operated, we are preparing for that. Today we eliminated Hezbollah’s Chief of General Staff, who was constantly engaged in rebuilding the organization and preparing for the next campaign. This is how we will continue to act, we will not allow threats to develop; there will be no containment. Today as well, I wish to salute all IDF troops and commanders, who bear the heavy burden every day, driven by a sense of duty and deep commitment to the defense of the State of Israel."
"Citizens of Israel, all the individuals whose names will from now on be associated with those achievements are among our finest commanders. All of them, without exceptions, have dedicated most of their lives to the IDF and to the State of Israel. The overwhelming majority of them had a direct role in the operational achievements that the IDF reached over the past two years.
"We also have a responsibility toward them as a society; the way we treat them will influence the next generation of commanders and those who lead today. We must not be a country that undermines its commanders, we do not have that privilege.
"'He who walks with integrity and acts righteously, and speaks truth in his heart.' I will continue to lead the IDF guided by truth, with responsibility and steadfast dedication to the mission."