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- Looking back on Aviv Kohavi's years as military head
Looking back on Aviv Kohavi's years as military head
Aviv Kohavi was sworn in as Israel's 22nd Chief of Staff in January 2019, replacing Gadi Eizenkot
Aviv Kohavi was officially replaced by Herzi Halevi as the Israeli army Chief of Staff on Monday, ending his four-year tenure, where he oversaw several significant military achievements.
Kohavi was sworn in as the 22nd Chief of Staff in January 2019, replacing Gadi Eizenkot. During his time as the military's leader, he oversaw the killing of a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander by an airstrike and the military taking over Israel's Covid testing during the worldwide pandemic. Then, in May 2021, Operation "Guardian of the Walls" shook the country - the 11-day crisis where over 4,360 rockets were fired at Israel.
Other than the 2021 operation, there were no major escalations or flare-ups along Israel's borders during Kohavi's tenure - a considerable achievement for the outgoing military head. Moreover, a substantial concern for the Jewish state - the northern border with Lebanon - remained quiet during Kohavi's oversight.
Regarding Israel's northeastern border with Syria, the Jewish state acted almost entirely without interference - leading to military successes. Last month, Kohavi admitted that Israel was behind a November strike against a convoy transporting Iranian weapons on the Syrian-Iraqi border.
Kohavi also oversaw the beginning of Operation "Break the Wave," the counterterrorism intervention in the West Bank that has seen over 2,000 Palestinians arrested following a series of terrorist attacks. The Lions' Den - a secular organization consisting of younger Palestinian men - was practically eradicated during "Break the Wave," among other Israeli operations.