In a sweeping move set to redefine the upper echelons of the Israeli military, incoming Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir is preparing to implement a drastic reshuffle of the army’s senior command. According to a report by Israel’s Channel 12, Zamir is determined to purge high-ranking officers whose names have become synonymous with the catastrophic failures of October 7, 2023—one of the darkest days in Israel’s history.

A Swift and Decisive Purge

Upon officially assuming his role on Wednesday, Zamir is expected to take swift action, removing several generals from their posts in a bid to restore public confidence in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Among those reportedly on the chopping block are:

• Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk – Head of the Operations Directorate
• Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar – Commander of the Air Force
• Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo – Head of the Home Front Command
• Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder – Head of the Intelligence Directorate

Zamir’s intent is clear: to signal a new era of accountability and operational effectiveness in the wake of Israel’s most shocking security lapse in decades. The October 7 Hamas-led assault, known as the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, saw Israeli defenses overwhelmed and left the nation in mourning. The new chief of staff appears determined to ensure that such a failure never occurs again.

The chief of the IDF Operations Directorate, Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, will be resigning from the military after four years in the role and some 33 years in the IDF.

Basiuk met today with incoming IDF chief of staff Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and requested to resign.

Zamir, who will… pic.twitter.com/Qr2Ybv2N4y

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 3, 2025

Netanyahu’s Hand in the Overhaul

Zamir, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is taking the reins from outgoing Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who resigned on January 21 amid mounting criticism over the military’s failure to prevent the Hamas invasion. Sources close to Netanyahu have indicated that with Zamir at the helm, the very nature of Israel’s military strategy is expected to change significantly. This could entail a shift towards a more aggressive, proactive stance against Hamas and other adversarial forces, reinforcing Israel’s deterrence capabilities.

A Military in Crisis: The Lessons of October 7

The October 7 attack exposed severe cracks in Israel’s defense establishment, triggering a series of internal probes that laid bare a string of intelligence failures and operational misjudgments. In its findings, the IDF acknowledged that the Gaza Division—tasked with securing Israel’s southern border—was not only unprepared but was, in fact, defeated for several hours, allowing Hamas militants to overrun key positions and inflict unprecedented casualties on Israeli civilians and soldiers alike.

Breaking: In the past two weeks, the Chief of Staff-designate, Major General Eyal Zamir, has conducted a series of visits to all combat fronts as part of the preparations for assuming his new role, in addition to assessing the IDF’s readiness on various fronts.

The Chief of… https://t.co/N3Tckvl6aL

— Irene Rusman (@irusman) March 4, 2025

The General Staff’s investigation focused on four primary areas:

1. Gaza Strategy and Perception – The IDF had mistakenly believed Hamas posed a minimal threat and that its tunnel networks had been sufficiently neutralized. Officials assumed Hamas had no interest in launching a full-scale war, leading to overconfidence in the border’s high-tech security measures.
2. Intelligence Failures – The Military Intelligence Directorate had, for years, dismissed concrete evidence indicating Hamas’s plans for a large-scale assault, mistakenly deeming them unrealistic. Despite years of warnings, critical intelligence was disregarded.
3. Eve of the Attack – On the night of October 6, five warning signs of unusual Hamas activity were identified. However, top decision-makers failed to interpret them as an imminent threat, leading to an absence of preemptive defensive measures.
4. Command and Control During Battle – The IDF’s response was slow, disorganized, and marred by chaos. It was only in retrospect that the military fully acknowledged how disastrously the Gaza Division had collapsed in the face of the onslaught.

The final conclusion of the investigation was damning: the Israeli military was unprepared for the scale and speed of Hamas’s attack, leaving civilians defenseless and the country in shock.

NEW 🔴

New IDF Chief Eyal Zamir meets with senior officers in Jenin, Gaza, and Lebanon to discuss plans for continued operations, with a strong emphasis on offensive maneuvers.

There’s a new sheriff in town. pic.twitter.com/Q6UJDCu3Mx

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 4, 2025

Restoring Strength and Confidence

Zamir’s planned purge of senior officers is more than just a bureaucratic reshuffle—it is a statement of intent. The incoming chief of staff is poised to rebuild the IDF’s operational credibility, ensuring that failures of intelligence, strategy, and execution are met with consequences.

With the Israeli public demanding accountability, this military overhaul represents the first step in a broader effort to fortify the country’s defenses and reestablish the IDF as the ironclad shield of the Jewish state. Zamir’s appointment marks a turning point, one that could dictate the trajectory of Israel’s security policy for years to come.