JERUSALEM – Israel’s top general resigned Tuesday, citing security and intelligence failures related to a surprise attack by Hamas that sparked a war within the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Israel launched a significant military operation within the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, killing at the very least six people and wounding 35, in accordance with the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi is the highest-ranking figure in Israel to resign over the security breakdown on October 7, 2023, when hundreds of Hamas-led militants launched a land, sea and air attack on southern Israel, wreaking havoc on military bases and nearby communities for a lot of hours.
About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed within the attack, and one other 250 were kidnapped. More than 90 captives are still being held in Gaza, a couple of third of whom are believed to be dead.
In his resignation letter, Halevi stated that the military under his command “failed in its mission to defend the State of Israel.” Halevi, who began a three-year term in January 2023, said his resignation would take effect on March 6.
Israel previously announced a “significant and large-scale military operation” against Palestinian militants in Jenin. The city has seen repeated Israeli raids and shootouts with militants in recent times, even before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. began a war in Gaza.
The latest operation comes just days after a fragile ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza, which is predicted to last six weeks and include the detention of 33 militants hostages released in exchange for a whole lot of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Three hostages and 90 prisoners were issued on Sunday, once they got here into force.
Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem throughout the 1967 Middle East War. The Palestinians seek an independent state encompassing all three territories.
The ceasefire doesn’t apply to the West Bank, which has seen a pointy increase in violence because the war began. carried out by Israeli troops almost day by day raids that always end in shootings.
There has also been a rise in attacks by Jewish extremists on Palestinians – including a rampage in two Palestinian villages on Monday night – in addition to Palestinian attacks on Israelis.
Hamas condemned the Israeli operation in Jenin, calling on Palestinians within the occupied West Bank to step up their very own attacks.
The smaller and more radical Islamic Jihad militant group also condemned the operation, saying it reflected a “failure to achieve Israel’s goals in Gaza.” It said it was also a “desperate attempt” by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid wasting his ruling coalition.
Netanyahu has faced criticism from his far-right allies over the ceasefire, which required the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas of Gaza and includes the discharge of a whole lot of Palestinian prisoners, including militants convicted of involvement in deadly attacks on Israelis.
We have already seen the ceasefire Hamas returns to the streetsshowing that it maintains strong control over the territory despite 15 months of war by which tens of hundreds of Palestinians and caused extensive damage.
One of his former partners, Itamar Ben-Gvir, leave the federal government on the day the ceasefire took effect, which weakened the coalition but still left Netanyahu with a parliamentary majority. Another far-right leader, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has threatened to flee unless Israel resumes the war after the primary phase of the ceasefire ends in six weeks.
More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, in accordance with local health authorities, who say women and youngsters make up greater than half of the fatalities but don’t say how lots of those killed were fighters.