Jerusalem [Israel], February 2: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed Major General (Res.) Eyal Zamir as the new Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Prime Minister’s Office made the announcement on X on Saturday.
Zamir, who will take over on March 6, becomes the 24th Chief of Staff of the IDF, succeeding Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, who resigned last month. According to The Times of Israel, Halevi’s resignation followed a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas related to the October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel.
Along with Zamir, Defence Minister Israel Katz had nominated two other candidates for the position, Maj. Gen. Amir Baram, the current IDF deputy chief of staff, and Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai.
Halevi congratulated Zamir on his appointment, stating, “I have known Eyal for many years, and I am sure that he will lead the IDF forward in the face of the expected challenges and wish him great success.” He also emphasized that a professional handover would take place in the coming weeks.
In a separate development on Saturday, three Israeli hostages were released from Hamas captivity in Gaza as part of the ongoing ceasefire deal. The hostages — Yarden Bibas, Ofer Kalderon, and Keith Siegel — were reunited with their families. Israel President Isaac Herzog expressed relief, saying, “Yarden Bibas, Ofer Kalderon, and Keith Siegel are finally home.”
The ceasefire aims to secure the release of a total of 33 Israeli hostages over six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.