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Israel’s new army chief says mission against Hamas ‘not accomplished’

Israel’s new military chief Eyal Zamir said his country’s mission to defeat Hamas remained unfinished as he took office Wednesday, with uncertainty hanging over the fragile Gaza ceasefire.Speaking before Zamir at a ceremony at military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “determined” to achieve victory in the multi-front war that began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.His remarks came after Arab leaders endorsed a plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority, presenting an alternative to US President Donald Trump’s widely condemned proposal to take over the territory and displace its people.But the prospect of the PA governing Gaza remains far from certain, with Israel having ruled out any future role for the body in the territory ruled by Hamas since 2007.”Hamas has indeed suffered a severe blow, but it has not yet been defeated. The mission is not yet accomplished,” Zamir said, amid a deadlock in negotiations on the next steps in the ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza.Zamir is replacing Herzi Halevi, who announced his resignation as armed forces chief in January over the military’s shortcomings on October 7.The military has since released the findings of an internal investigation that acknowledged its “complete failure” to prevent the deadliest attack on Israel since its creation.The Hamas assault resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, most of them civilians, while Israel’s military retaliation in Gaza has killed at least 48,405 people, also mostly civilians, data from both sides show.- Arab plan -The war in Gaza has left the territory largely in ruins and created a dire humanitarian crisis.An Arab League summit on Tuesday announced the adoption of a “comprehensive” plan for Gaza’s reconstruction, to be financed by a trust fund, and urged the international community to offer its support.A draft of the plan seen by AFP outlined a five-year roadmap with a price tag of $53 billion — roughly the amount the United Nations estimated for Gaza’s reconstruction — but the figure was not included in the summit’s final statement.”All these efforts are proceeding in parallel with the launch of a political track” towards Palestinian statehood, it reads, an ambition that Israeli leaders have opposed.The summit also called on Palestinian representation to be unified under the PLO, an umbrella group that is the dominant political force within the Palestinian Authority — a move that could sideline Islamist Hamas, which is not a member.The Arab plan was a direct response to the one floated by Trump, who triggered global outrage by suggesting the United States “take over” Gaza and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”, while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt or Jordan.Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the new plan was “far more realistic than what the Trump administration is proposing in terms of being able to be operationalised”.But Ghassan Khatib, a Palestinian political analyst and former PA minister, was sceptical whether it could realistically come to pass, noting the lack of details around financing and the political hurdles it would face.”The only two players in Gaza, the only two parties who have influence in Gaza are Israel and Hamas, and… their positions are not coherent with this plan,” he said.”It doesn’t make sense to expect Israel to drop the plan of Trump and to adopt the plan of the Arabs. There’s no chance.”While Hamas has said it welcomed the Arab plan, it is unclear how willing it would be to relinquish control of Gaza.Israel, meanwhile, has said the Arab leaders’ proposal fails “to address the realities”, and criticised its reliance on both the PA and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the plan would seek backing from Muslim nations at an emergency summit of Organisation for Islamic Cooperation foreign ministers scheduled for Friday in Jeddah.- Ceasefire impasse -The ceasefire deal’s first phase ended over the weekend after six weeks of relative calm that included exchanges of Israeli hostages taken on October 7 for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.While Israel has said it wants to extend the first phase until mid-April, Hamas has insisted on a transition to the deal’s second phase, which should lead to a permanent end to the war.Of the 251 hostages taken on October 7, 58 remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military has confirmed are dead.Netanyahu has faced sustained pressure throughout the war from the hostages’ families and supporters to strike a deal to bring them home.”It’s very hard for me that the country still hasn’t completed the process of bringing back the hostages,” said Yael Lotem, who came out on Wednesday to watch the funeral procession of slain hostage Ohad Yahalomi.”It was possible to bring them all back alive, and that didn’t happen.”

Former tank commander takes over as Israel’s military chief

Former tank commander Eyal Zamir was sworn in as Israel’s new army chief on Wednesday, inheriting the task at a crucial time for the military after it acknowledged its “complete failure” to prevent Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.Previously director of the defence ministry, Zamir replaces chief of staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, who resigned admitting he had failed to fulfil his mandate.Zamir, 59, takes over at a sensitive time in Israel’s war with Hamas, with the ceasefire that took effect on January 19 hanging in the balance.At his swearing-in ceremony at military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Zamir said he was ready for the challenges ahead, noting that while “Hamas has indeed suffered a severe blow… it has not yet been defeated. The mission is not yet accomplished.”Announcing his appointment last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had high hopes that Zamir would help achieve Israel’s goal of “absolute victory” over Hamas.Zamir also steps in at a time of heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank, where the military has deployed tanks in recent weeks for the first time in 20 years.His appointment also comes at a time when Israel is considering how to contend with its arch-foe Iran.Zamir wrote in a 2022 policy paper for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy that Israel needed to adopt a tougher approach in order to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.Pushing for greater regional cooperation, with backing from the United States against what he called the “Iran axis”, Zamir advocated “offensive action” in order to guarantee success.His position on Iran mirrors that of Netanyahu, who recently said that Israel plans to “finish the job against Iran’s terror axis”.Zamir, who led key operations during the second Palestinian intifada or uprising, served as Netanyahu’s military secretary from 2012 to 2015.In contrast to Halevi, who avoided the spotlight, Zamir comes across as a powerful figure.At a defence ministry event a day after his appointment, the father of three was quoted as saying that 2025 would be “a year of continued fighting”.”The war has demonstrated that we must be self-reliant,” he said.As head of the defence ministry, Zamir is credited with some of Israel’s biggest and most significant defence procurements. “He understands very well what big wars are all about and how to fight them,” said Amir Avivi, a former Israeli general who founded the right-wing think tank Israel Defence and Security Forum.- ‘Strict’ -Zamir cuts a powerful figure, his burly build sending a clear message that he means business.Avivi, who has known Zamir for more than 20 years and spent a year with him at the Israeli College for National Security, described him as “mission-oriented”, “detail-oriented” and “strict”.He said Zamir has a “deep understanding” of the Gaza front and even authored “a very detailed plan to conquer all of Gaza” while serving as head of Southern Command from 2015 to 2018.Saying he had spoken with Zamir since his appointment, Avivi added: “I think he has a very clear understanding that he was chosen for one thing — to bring total victory to Israel on all fronts.”Jonathan Conricus, a former army spokesman who served with Zamir, also said the incoming chief would have to “navigate strategic challenges of the most sensitive nature”, including restoring public trust.Born in Israel’s southernmost city Eilat, Zamir, whose paternal grandfather immigrated from Yemen and whose mother’s family arrived from Syria, joined the military in 1984.Unlike previous chiefs of staff, who served in the distinguished paratroopers’ unit or in the Golani infantry brigade, Zamir began his career in the Armoured Corps.He served through the first and second intifadas, holding senior combat and command roles.In 2002, he led a brigade that captured the refugee camp adjacent to the West Bank city of Jenin, a hotbed of Palestinian militancy.The army laid siege to the camp for more than a month amid fierce fighting that saw hundreds of homes levelled, and 52 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers killed.Zamir was later appointed head of the army’s southern command, where he led efforts to cut off Hamas tunnels.From 2018 to 2021, he was deputy chief of staff under Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi, tasked with implementing the military’s multi-year plan.

Former tank commander takes over as Israel’s military chief

Former tank commander Eyal Zamir will on Wednesday become Israel’s new armed forces chief, inheriting the task at a crucial time for the military after it acknowledged its “complete failure” to prevent Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.Previously director of the defence ministry, Zamir will replace outgoing chief of staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, who resigned admitting he failed to fulfil his mandate.Zamir, 59, is being sworn in at a sensitive time in Israel’s war with Hamas, with the ceasefire that took effect on January 19 hanging in the balance.Announcing his appointment last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had high hopes that Zamir would help achieve Israel’s goal of “absolute victory” against Hamas.Zamir will also take over operations in the occupied West Bank, where the military has deployed tanks in recent weeks for the first time in 20 years.His appointment also comes at a moment of high tension for Israel with its arch-foe Iran.Zamir wrote in a 2022 policy paper for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy that Israel needed to adopt a tougher approach in order to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.Pushing for greater regional cooperation, with backing from the United States against what he called the “Iran axis”, Zamir advocated “offensive action” in order to guarantee success.His position on Iran mirrors that of Netanyahu, who recently said that Israel plans to “finish the job against Iran’s terror axis”.Zamir, who led key operations during the second Palestinian intifada or uprising, served as Netanyahu’s military secretary from 2012 to 2015.In contrast to Halevi, who avoided the spotlight, Zamir comes across as a powerful figure.At a defence ministry event a day after his appointment, Zamir, a father of three, was quoted as saying that 2025 would be “a year of continued fighting”.”The war has demonstrated that we must be self-reliant,” he said.As head of the defence ministry, Zamir is credited with some of Israel’s biggest and most significant defence procurements. “He understands very well what big wars are all about and how to fight them,” said Amir Avivi, a former Israeli general who founded the right-wing think tank Israel Defence and Security Forum.- ‘Strict’ -Zamir cuts a powerful figure, his burly build sending a clear message that he means business.Avivi, who has known Zamir for more than 20 years and spent a year with him at the Israeli College for National Security, described him as being “mission-oriented”, “detail-oriented” and “strict”. He said Zamir has a “deep understanding” of the Gaza front and even authored “a very detailed plan to conquer all of Gaza” while serving as head of Southern Command from 2015 to 2018.Saying he had spoken with Zamir since his appointment, Avivi added: “I think he has a very clear understanding that he was chosen for one thing — to bring total victory to Israel on all fronts.”Jonathan Conricus, a former Israeli army spokesman who served with Zamir, also said the incoming chief would have to “navigate strategic challenges of the most sensitive nature”, including restoring public trust.Born in Israel’s southernmost city Eilat, Zamir, whose paternal grandfather immigrated from Yemen and whose mother’s family arrived from Syria, joined the military in 1984.Unlike previous chiefs of staff, who served in the distinguished paratroopers’ unit or in the Golani infantry brigade, Zamir began his career in the Armoured Corps.He served through the first and second intifadas holding senior combat and command roles.In 2002, he led a brigade that captured the refugee camp adjacent to the West Bank city of Jenin, a hotbed of Palestinian militancy.The army laid siege to the camp for more than a month amid fierce fighting that saw hundreds of homes levelled, and 52 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers killed.Zamir was later appointed head of the army’s southern command, where he led efforts to cut off Hamas tunnels.From 2018 to 2021, he served as deputy chief of staff under Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi, tasked with implementing the military’s multi-year plan.