'Terrible failure' General resigns, citing guilt over 7 October security failures

Israel's top general has resigned, citing the "terrible failure" of security and intelligence related to Hamas's surprise attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza.

- Peter Beaumont

Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), is the most senior Israeli figure to resign over the security breakdown when thousands of Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, rampaging through army bases and nearby communities for hours.

The Israeli opposition leader, Yair Lapid, said he saluted Halevi's decision and also called on the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his government to resign.

"Now, it is time for them to take responsibility and resign - the prime minister and his entire catastrophic government," he said.

Halevi, who has been targeted for criticism by far-right members of Netanyahu's governing coalition, will formally step down in March as the first stage of Israel's ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza comes to an end. He had been widely expected to resign and said he would complete the IDF's own inquiries into the events of 7 October 2023. It was not immediately clear who would replace him.