Israel Dismisses Senior Military Officers Following Investigation into October 7 Hamas Attack Failures

Israel's military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, has announced comprehensive disciplinary actions against senior Israel Defence Forces (IDF) officers following their failures during the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023. This represents one of the most extensive accountability measures in IDF history, stemming from what Zamir called a "thorough, professional, and in-depth inquiry" into the systemic breakdowns that enabled the devastating attack.

In his address on November 23, 2025, Zamir outlined the two critical missions he undertook upon assuming Israel's highest military position: "The first – to lead the IDF to decisive victory in a multi-arena war... The second – to strengthen the public's trust in the IDF and to ensure that the events of October 7th never happen again."

The October 7 attack, executed by Hamas and other Gaza-based militants, involved coordinated infiltrations via land, air, and sea. The assault resulted in over 1,200 Israeli casualties, predominantly civilians, with approximately 240 hostages taken to Gaza. Border communities were overrun, and key military installations were breached, revealing significant failures in intelligence analysis, force preparedness, early-warning mechanisms, and command decision-making.

Zamir emphasized that the IDF had failed in its fundamental mission of protecting Israeli civilians. "My conclusions present an unequivocal picture: the IDF failed in its primary mission on October 7—to protect the civilians of the State of Israel. This is a severe, resounding, systemic failure... The lessons of that day are numerous and significant."

The disciplinary measures include removing several major generals from reserve service, including Aharon Haliva, Oded Basyuk, and Yaron Finkelman, each bearing operational or intelligence responsibility during the attack.

Reprimands were also issued to Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar, Navy Commander Vice Admiral David Saar Salama, and Major General Shlomi Binder. Additionally, various brigadier generals and colonels were either released from reserve duty or will retire.

Acknowledging the difficulty of his decisions, Zamir stated, "My subordinates, it is not easy to make decisions that affect people I appreciate... people with whom I fought side by side for many years. Alongside that... is the obligation to set a clear standard of command responsibility... If we do not sharpen the meaning of responsibility, trust in the system will erode."

He noted that many officers facing consequences had also achieved significant wartime accomplishments over the past two years and cautioned against societal tendencies to disparage those who have served the nation for decades.

"We must not be a country that undermines its commanders; we do not have that privilege," he emphasized.

Zamir also highlighted ongoing operations, asserting that Israel "will not allow threats to develop; there will be no containment," and commended IDF troops operating across multiple fronts.

He concluded with a reaffirmation of his guiding principles: "I will continue to lead the IDF guided by truth, with responsibility and steadfast dedication to the mission."

As the IDF enters what Zamir termed a "period of systemic shaping," the military aims to "embed lessons learnt, restore public confidence, and ensure – through structural reform and accountability – that the trauma of October 7 is never repeated."