Sources: Eyal Zamir opposed major strike on Hezbollah in Oct. 2023

Though some paint him as lacking nuance, next IDF chief weighs when to attack.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB FEBRUARY 3, 2025 14:08

Eyal Zamir, next IDF chief of staff seen outside his home. January 2, 2025. (photo credit: FLASH90)

Incoming IDF Chief of Staff nominee Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir opposed the overwhelming majority position of the IDF high command on October 11, 2023 which wanted to launch a major strike on Hezbollah before the Lebanese terror group could get organized, sources have told The Jerusalem Post.

Current IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, though some have tried to portray him as too passive a commander, pushed hard for such a strike along with then-defense minister Yoav Gallant, Northern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Uri Gordon and the vast majority of the IDF high command (though there was a minority of some other top defense officials who also opposed.)

Ultimately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided against such an attack, and the major strike only took place in September 2024, with many top IDF officials saying that it could have been even more decisive in 2023 and saved 60,000 northern residents from having to evacuate for over a year.

There is a debate about whether Netanyahu himself would have vetoed the attack in all circumstances due to his belief that defeating Hamas had to come first and doubts about the IDF launching such a risky strike against tougher foe in the days after the IDF's utter failure to block Hamas's October 7, 2023 invasion of southern Israel. or whether he was influenced by the Biden administration's opposition, or whether he was influenced by the opposition of then key war cabinet members and former IDF chiefs Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot.     

Zamir declined to comment to the Post on the story.

Eyal Zamir during a speech at Israel's Defense Ministry. February 2, 2025. (credit: DEFENSE MINISTRY)

But the bottom-line was that Netanyahu chose Zamir's position (along with the many other mentioned above officials) over the majority of the defense establishment.

Interesting revelation

What is most interesting about this revelation is that Zamir was on the "be careful" side, while Halevi was on the "be aggressive" side.

This is interesting because many media and observers have quoted Zamir's remarks when leaving office as IDF deputy chief in which he warned that the IDF ground forces were being significantly neglected and that in general the military needed to move back to a mentality of trying to win wars decisively, even if that ,might take a long time, than feeling that all it could achieve was deterrence and that all wars must end rapidly.

In addition, this has led many officials to predict that Zamir may clean house within the top echelons of the IDF and that he always is on the aggressive attack side of the spectrum.

This latest revelation that he opposed a major strike on Hezbollah on October 11, 2023 paints a more complex picture of Zamir as a non-political military man who follows his own conscience about when to attack and when not to, and who is ready sometimes even on major decisions to hold back if he believes it is the right move.

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To be sure, Zamir has made it clear that if the IDF goes back to war against Hamas in Gaza at the end of the current phase of the ceasefire, that he would be extremely aggressive militarily.

And he is expected to make some personnel changes to the IDF high command as every new chief does, especially after October 7.

But those who expect him to clean house of virtually all top IDF officers may be disappointed.