Defense Minister Katz Asks IDF Chief Of Staff To Submit Investigation Results Of October 7 Incident Next Month

Defense Minister Katz with IDF Chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. (Source: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

JAKARTA - Israeli Defense Minister Katz ordered Israel's Chief of Staff Defense Forces (IDF) Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi to submit the results of an investigation into the October 7, 2023 attack in January, saying there would be no new general appointment until then.

In a statement issued by his office, the defense minister ordered Lt. Gen. Halevi to show him all the investigations that have so far been completed.

"It is the IDF's duty to complete the investigation as quickly as possible to hand it over to the families and communities in Israel, and to take the necessary lessons and conclusions," the statement said.

Lt. Gen. Halevi had previously indicated that he would resign after the investigation on October 7 was completed.

On the other hand, Defense Minister Katz stressed he would freeze all potential appointments for high command, until he received the results of the investigation, quoted from The Jerusalem Post.

Minister Katz recently blocked several mid-level appointments, saying the officers in question could not be promoted until their role in the October 7, 2023 attacks was clarified.

Katz's latest move is a stage for major political and military surprises. Militaryly, Defense Minister Katz, in several ways, is moving the IDF into the post-Halievi phase.

One of the most basic roles of the IDF chief is the power of the people he appointed. This allows him to shape the current and future of the IDF in accordance with his strategic tendency, giving him greater influence over the levels of subordinates who hope he will give them promotion.

Citing Ynetnews, Lt. Gen. Halevi criticized Defense Minister Katz after knowing that his two general appointments were suspended, based on media reports.

"The appointment of officers is not a privilege. This is a necessity and duty," he wrote in a letter to the senior IDF command.

It is known that a Palestinian militant group led by Hamas attacked Israel's southern region, leaving about 1,200 people dead and more than 250 kidnapped as hostages according to Israeli calculations on October 7, 2023.

It was responded to by a blockade campaign, air strikes and ground operations carried out by the Israeli military in response to the Palestinian enclave.

The IDF Chief of Staff was the first to take responsibility for the failure of the IDF, implying he would leave his post when the investigation into the massacre was completed.