IDF prepares to conclude October 7 investigation

Israeli Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has ordered commanders to prepare for the conclusion of investigations into the events of October 7, which have been scrutinizing the initial failures at the start of the war. 

In a letter issued Wednesday, Halevi also called on commanders who participated in the fighting near Gaza to come forward and testify.

This directive follows a decision by Defense Minister Israel Katz last month, when he imposed a deadline for Halevi to finalize the investigations. Katz instructed the chief of staff to refrain from approving any new general appointments until the full findings of the October 7 investigation are reviewed. The minister's office emphasized that the appointments would be frozen until it could assess the impact of these findings on potential promotion candidates.

Katz has set the end of January as the deadline for completing the investigations, stressing the military’s obligation to present its findings to the public in order to "draw the necessary lessons and conclusions." However, according to i24NEWS, the military has expressed concerns that meeting this deadline will be challenging. Some within the military leadership view the timeline as unrealistic, adding to growing tensions within the ranks.

Recently, Halevi also decided to suspend certain military investigations into the October 7 tragedy—a move that has been met with significant criticism. Critics argue that some senior military officials implicated in the failures should not be considered for promotions until the full facts are known.