IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir announced that he has appointed a special team to conduct a comprehensive review of all General Staff inquiries into the October 7 security failures during a conference at the Northern Command on Monday night.
The newly formed team will categorize the investigations into three groups: those deemed high-quality and requiring no further review, those that are substantial but require additional clarifications and expansions, and those considered inadequate, necessitating a full reassessment.
Heading the team is former Southern Command chief Maj.-Gen. (res.) Sami Turgeman, who will be joined by senior reserve officers, including former Air Force commander Amikam Norkin, former Navy commander Eli Sharvit, and other high-ranking officials.
Over the course of conferences held at the Northern, Southern, and Central Commands, Zamir addressed the General Staff Forum and senior officers, emphasizing the critical importance of IDF combat soldiers, stating that “the entire IDF serves the fighters on the front lines.”
A turning point for the IDF
Zamir explained that the IDF is at a historic turning point, engaged in a war of a scale not seen since the War of Independence.
Given the magnitude of the current conflict, the military must investigate, learn, internalize lessons, and improve. Acknowledging the challenges ahead, he noted that while he wished this process was already behind them, it remains an essential and unavoidable step.
Zamir also addressed concerns about public trust, asserting that IDF commanders have a duty to restore confidence that has been damaged. During his speech, officers at Northern Command observed that Zamir deliberately paused and made direct eye contact with commanders to emphasize his firm determination to carry out the process.
Additionally, Zamir pointed out that it is unreasonable for the IDF to have been engaged in a war for over a year and a half without producing a single comprehensive inquiry into the conflict itself—its battles, tactics, strategies, and operational plans—beyond the events of October 7 or the period leading up to it.
Defense Minister freezes key IDF appointments
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Zamir have yet to decide on the future of Col. Efraim Avni, currently serving as the Operations Officer of Southern Command. Avni was selected to lead the Paratroopers Brigade based on the recommendations of former Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Southern Command chief Maj.-Gen. Yaron Finkelman.
However, Katz has frozen two key appointments—the commander of the elite Yahalom Unit and the commander of the Paratroopers Brigade—pending the findings of the October 7 investigations. Last week, Katz and Zamir approved Col. A. to take command of Yahalom, but they have not yet reached a decision regarding Avni.
In the coming days, the team led by Maj.-Gen. (res.) Turgeman will conduct a deeper review before submitting its recommendation.