On his first day in office, new IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir made a pointed statement by heading straight to Gaza – an opening move meant to signal urgency and renewed determination.
At a frontline position near Beit Hanoun in the northern Strip, he staged an unannounced drill, reportedly catching outgoing OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Yaron Finkelman off guard. Turning to the company commander, he declared, “You’re under attack by Hamas.”
The exercise simulated an October 7-style assault. Zamir moved from position to position, assessing how Netzah Yehuda soldiers responded. At the end, he left no room for doubt: “An attack like this will happen. It’s not a question of if but when – and you need to be ready.”
That is now Zamir’s immense task: to ensure that an IDF inexplicably caught unprepared on October 7 is never in that position again.
Achieving that will require restoring discipline and instilling a new spirit in the army – one that prioritizes decisive victory over mere containment and deterrence. These are not just slogans but fundamentally different military doctrines. Zamir’s early actions and pronouncements suggest he is determined to imbue the army with the latter.
Eyal Zamir takes over
Following his induction on Wednesday, several commentators and officials hailed him as the right man for the moment. One key reason: he is not seen as part of the groupthink that led IDF leadership to believe Hamas was deterred, blinding them to clear warnings of an impending invasion.
For one, he held no active role in the IDF on October 7, instead serving as director-general to then-defense minister Yoav Gallant.
But even during his time among the military top brass, he had pushed back against prevailing trends – warning against the reliance on a “small, smart IDF” driven by hi-tech solutions at the expense of traditional soldiering. A tank commander by training, he opposed efforts to shrink Israel’s tank fleet in favor of increased reliance on air power.
Fittingly, one of his first decisions was to reverse that course – announcing plans to add a new tank brigade and reinstate reconnaissance units within tank divisions. The war in Gaza has made clear the vital role tanks play in ground maneuvers.
Born in Eilat, Zamir began his nearly four-decade military career in the Armored Corps. He is the first chief of staff from its ranks since David “Dado” Elazar, more than 50 years ago.
Over the years, he has held numerous high-level positions, including military secretary to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, head of the Southern Command, and deputy chief of staff.
That experience will be invaluable, as will his two years in the Defense Ministry, where he oversaw arms procurement. The war has exposed Israel’s over-reliance on US weapons, and Zamir spearheaded efforts to significantly expand domestic production.
His challenges go beyond learning from October 7 and restructuring the military accordingly. He must also restore public confidence in its leadership. As part of that effort, he is reshuffling the IDF high command.
Most changes are flying under the radar. One that isn’t, however, is the departure of IDF spokesman R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari. It was announced Friday that he will not continue in the role and is set to retire from the military.
Over the last 16 months, Hagari has become the face of the war to Israelis.
He projected calm, confidence, and determination in his briefings to the public – something badly needed during the first weeks and months of the war. He was also a figure that earned the public’s trust.
His departure, therefore, has raised eyebrows, especially given his recent clashes with the political echelon, leading to speculation that this played a role in his removal.
In reality, however, an IDF spokesman must be someone the chief of staff fully trusts and works well with. It is not at all unusual for a new chief to appoint his own choice to that position.
“The IDF did not fulfill its mission on October 7. We will not hide that, nor will we cover it up,” Zamir wrote in his first order to the troops on Thursday.
“From here, we turn our heads in one direction – to victory and the decisive defeat of the enemy. This is our mission. This is our goal.”
We wish him Godspeed in achieving it.