Israeli failure to repel Hamas attack sparks new crisis

26th March 2025

4 minutes read

Israeli failure to repel Hamas attack sparks new crisis

The Israeli defense minister calls for an examination of the military police’s conduct, believing its actions could be used to silence internal criticism within the army.

Israel’s failure to repel the Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza continues to cause tensions between the political and military leadership in Israel, with each side seeking to blame the other.

A new crisis emerged between Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi on Monday, less than a month after Kochavi took office, replacing the resigned Herzl Halevi.

This new crisis arose following internal investigations related to the October 7 attack, after Katz called for an examination of what he termed the “military police’s conduct,” asserting that their actions could be used to stifle criticism within the army.

On Monday, Katz said in a written statement, “I issued instructions to summon Brigadier General (res.) Oren Solomon to present the investigation he conducted into the events of October 7, which I have not yet reviewed.”

He added, “The summoning of Brigadier General Solomon, who conducted an official inquiry into the Southern Command events of October 7 and criticized senior Israeli military leaders during his interrogation, raises questions.”

He continued, “I intend to ask the Chief of Staff to review the conduct of the military prosecution in this matter. It is essential that military police investigations do not create the impression of being used to silence internal criticisms within the Israeli military.”

Solomon, who was the operations director for the Gaza Division, was recently dismissed from his reserve service without any official explanation from the army. In response to Katz, Kochavi said in a statement that he “does not receive directives through the media.”

Kochavi attacked what he called “false claims” regarding the motives behind the investigation into Solomon, stating, “The claim that the officer is being investigated for his role in the October 7 inquiry is baseless and unfounded. The officer was summoned for questioning due to suspicion of serious violations of information security.”

He added, “The investigation will continue with professionalism and objectivity. I support the law enforcement authorities in the Israeli military, who are acting in accordance with the law to investigate suspicions as necessary.”

Brigadier General Solomon, who was responsible for investigations related to the Gaza Division over the past year, was recently removed from his reserve duties without an explanation from the army, before being summoned for questioning regarding “serious violations” related to “information security.”

The Israeli army stated that the officer was not arrested but was summoned for questioning, which he complied with, and that the investigation is still in its early stages.

Solomon sent a message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz, stating that he was ready to present his investigation to them, claiming that the results were concealed from the political leadership and the public by orders from the military leadership.

In response to Kochavi, Katz said in a statement on Tuesday, “The Defense Minister gives instructions to the Chief of Staff, who is subject to the political level in the manner he sees fit, and Kochavi’s response was unnecessary and inappropriate.”

He added, “The instructions given to the Chief of Staff to examine the circumstances that led to the investigation and the allegations in the letter written by Brigadier General Oren Solomon to the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister regarding the Israeli military’s conduct toward him, in light of the crucial investigation he conducted, were given directly before the public announcement due to its public nature and with no intention of influencing the investigation itself, which is being carried out by the military prosecutor’s office.”

He continued, “The media discourse on this issue must now be stopped, and it will be addressed later in other ways,” though he did not specify further.

This crisis is not the first between the political and military leadership in Israel. Before Kochavi took office, Katz had disagreements with former Chief of Staff Halevi. Additionally, the army spokesperson, Admiral Daniel Haggari, was reprimanded last December after criticizing the “Fieldstein Bill,” calling it “too dangerous for the Israeli army.”

The Fieldstein Bill, passed by the Knesset in November 2024, allows soldiers and security service members to share confidential information with the Prime Minister or Defense Minister without prior authorization.

Tensions between Katz and Halevi escalated when the Defense Minister announced that he would not approve any new appointments in the military until all results from the October 7 inquiry had been delivered to his office, seemingly a deliberate attempt to pressure Halevi into resigning at the time.

In January, Halevi announced his resignation from his position, marking the beginning of a series of departures in Israel’s military leadership in the wake of the October 7 attack. Halevi’s resignation became effective on March 6, and Kochavi succeeded him.

In his resignation letter, Halevi confirmed that “the Israeli military had failed in its mission to defend Israel, and the state paid a heavy price.” He added, “I take responsibility, and the responsibility for this failure weighs on me every day and every hour.”

He continued, “We have suffered significant human losses, and the war has left scars and wounds on many soldiers and their families,” but also noted that “the army fought a war on multiple fronts for several months and achieved accomplishments that changed the face of the Middle East.”