Chief-of-Staff: "The IDF is subordinate to the political echelon, but the decision to conduct the debriefing is an operational necessity" / Niv Aharonson
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevy, in a statement to the media on Saturday evening, referred to the efforts to return the hostages against the background of the 100th anniversary of the October 7 massacre, saying that "time is pressing for the return of the abductees and we are not abandoning this noble goal." Regarding the military investigation of the massacre, he added: "The IDF is subordinate to the political echelon and respects it - but the decision to investigate is an operational necessity and not a policy decision."
"Today we approved plans for the Southern Command to continue the fighting and increase the military pressure on Hamas. Pressure that will lead to the dismantling of Hamas and the return of the hostages. This pressure, and only it, has so far succeeded in bringing about the return of hostages," the chief of staff claimed, adding: "Tomorrow we will mark <> days since the beginning of the war. We are working by all means, most of them secret, to bring them back, and we will continue to do so until we bring them all back."
"In order to bring about real results, we must continue to operate in enemy territory, not allow attempts to blackmail a ceasefire that will probably not bring real results," he said.
Statement by IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. January 13, 2023/Niv Aharonson
Lt. Gen. Halevy also addressed reports of the opening of a military investigation into the events of October 7: "Truthful debriefing is the lifeblood of an army – we investigate all the time. The IDF is responsible for the security of the state and is committed to improving and adapting itself to fighting on the ground. An operational debriefing, of course, does not replace an external examination or investigation." According to the chief of staff, "We have not yet determined when we will begin investigating, but we have decided that we will investigate as soon as possible the events that led to the start of the war and the events of the October <>th. We must begin to understand what happened in order to better protect the residents of the envelope and so that we know how to ensure that this day does not happen again."
"The IDF, of course, is subordinate to the political echelon and respects it. It is necessary and proper to ask us and criticize us. We listen and learn from every statement, but the decision about the debriefing is an operational necessity and not a policy decision. The IDF wants and needs to be better. I am convinced that everyone understands and identifies with this desire."
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