In Israel, former Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Eyal Zamir, took over from Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi, who resigned. At the ceremony, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz sent a message to Hamas and Iran.

Herzi Halevi, who resigned as Chief of General Staff in Israel, handed over his duties to Eyal Zamir.

At the transfer of power ceremony held at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) headquarters in Tel Aviv, Zamir was promoted to the rank of Major General.

In his speech after taking over the role, Zamir stated, “The task I took on today is clear, to lead the IDF to victory. When faced with external threats, we must ensure unity in the ranks. We will work to expand the ranks.”

He also emphasized that bringing back the hostages in Gaza to Israel as soon as possible is a moral duty for the army.

NETANYAHU: THANKS TO THE US, WE ARE BRINGING IN CRITICAL WEAPONS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his speech at the ceremony, expressed that he proposed Eyal Zamir as Chief of General Staff for the third time, highlighting Zamir’s leadership in important supply processes while serving as the Director General of the Ministry of Defense during wartime.

Netanyahu said, “First and foremost, with the support of President Trump and our friends in the US, we are bringing a large number of critical weapons to Israel for our security.”

Netanyahu also mentioned that Israel has increased its defense industry capacity, stating, “This will reduce our dependence on foreign actors.”

Emphasizing the need for Israel to achieve the objectives of the war, Netanyahu noted that Israel is determined to achieve victory against Iran and Iran-linked forces.

KATZ: WE WILL NOT ALLOW HAMAS TO RULE

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, in his speech, stated that they will return to war if Hamas does not release all hostages, asserting, “We will not allow Hamas to rule in Gaza.” Herzi Halevi, Israel’s former Chief of General Staff, had mentioned in his resignation letter to Netanyahu on January 21 that he could not fulfill the duty of protecting Israeli citizens with the Israel Defense Forces under his command on October 7, 2023, and that Israel paid a heavy and painful price.

Halevi expressed, “With the awareness of my responsibility in the failure of the IDF on October 7, I request that my term ends on March 6, 2025, when the IDF has achieved extraordinary successes and restored Israel’s deterrence and strength.”