Chief-of-Staff: IDF commanders are now risking their lives in the fighting - it is not appropriate to judge them while the guns are firing / IDF Spokesperson
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy spoke on Tuesday after meeting fighters in the northern Gaza Strip, and condemned the criticism of IDF commanders during the war. "Many commanders made very difficult decisions on October 99 (...). The decisions of the commanders, as well as my own, will be thoroughly investigated and studied, when the operational situation permits," he said.
His comments come days after the New York Times reported that the commander of the <>th Division, Brigadier General Barak Hiram, confirmed that he was the one who ordered the shell to be fired at a house in Kibbutz Be'eri. "Each of these commanders is now risking his life in the fighting," the chief of staff stressed, "it is not appropriate to lash out at them and judge them while the artillery is still firing and they are leading forces inside the Gaza Strip in the fighting." Halevi named the commander of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fuchs, and said, "Any persecution or defamation of him is severe and must be condemned clearly and from every direction."
Halevy also said that the war is expected to continue for many more months. "There are no magic solutions, no shortcuts in the thorough dismantling of a terrorist organization, but persistent and determined fighting, and we are very, very determined," he said. He praised the ground operation, which he said "brings a unique added value, the destruction of infrastructure, which cannot be carried out from the air. This operation leads to friction with many terrorists and their elimination," he explained.
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy with fighters in the Gaza Strip. December 17, 2023/IDF Spokesperson
The chief of staff stressed, "We will also reach the Hamas leadership, whether it takes a week or months. Thanks to the spirit, thanks to professionalism we will arrive. We are constantly learning and changing the way we fight, adapting the method of combat to each area of the fighting, to the terrain, to the enemy and to our forces. Our forces are being refreshed according to the assessment of the situation, including the reserve forces - we will take care of them, the reservists, and appreciate their work and the support of their families, families who are full partners in this fighting effort."
Halevi also referred to the abductees still in the Gaza Strip. "Our commitment to the return of the abductees remains the same – we will do everything to bring the abductees home. In this war we are fighting an extremely just war, and just like a war, it has a heavy and painful price. One of our best sons and daughters fell in the battle for the security of the state. We will ensure that their fall was not in vain."
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"You learn and change the way you fight all the time." IDF Forces in the Gaza Strip/IDF Spokesperson
Finally, the Chief of Staff pledged, "The many days that have passed since the October 7th raise many difficult questions – all of which we are obligated to provide, and we will provide answers after a thorough investigation. We will not skip any questions and no lessons. We will investigate in a poignant and thorough manner at the first possible opportunity, and we will publish the findings to the public with the appropriate transparency."
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