Israel's army chief Herzi Halevi said on Tuesday he would resign over the security lapse that allowed Hamas to brutally murder and kidnap Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023.
Halevi, who had been widely expected to step down, said he would complete the Israel Defence Forces' inquiries into the attack and strengthen the Israel Defence Forces readiness for security challenges.
"On the morning of October 7, the IDF failed in its mission to protect the citizens of Israel," Halevi wrote in his resignation letter to Defence Minister Israel Katz.
Israel, he added, paid a heavy price in terms of human lives and those kidnapped and wounded in "body and soul."
"My responsibility for the terrible failure accompanies me every day, hour by hour, and will do so for the rest of my life," said Halevi, a military veteran of four decades.
Halevi, who began what was meant to be a three-year term in January 2023 said his resignation would go into effect March 6.
The October 7 attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants abducted another 250.
It comes just days after the first phase of a ceasefire deal with Hamas came into effect on Sunday, ending 14 months of conflict.
More than 46,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict since October 2023 and the heavily built-up territory has been widely demolished by Israeli bombardments and airstrikes.
Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of Israel’s Southern Command, which oversees operations in Gaza, also tendered his resignation.
