“On Oct. 7, I failed to protect the Western Negev and its courageous, beloved residents. This failure will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

By JNS

Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of the Israel Defense Forces Southern Command, announced his intention to resign, citing responsibility for the IDF’s failures before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

He notified IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi of the decision on Tuesday after Halevi informed Defense Minister Israel Katz earlier in the day that he would be stepping down on March 6.

The IDF made Finkelman and Halevi’s resignation letters public.

Finkelman wrote in his Hebrew letter, “On Oct. 7, I failed to protect the Western Negev and its courageous, beloved residents. This failure will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

He added: “Driven by my duty to the State of Israel, I have since worked to lead the fight against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza.”

“In this conflict, we delivered a significant blow to Hamas. We must continue to target the enemy, bring our hostages home, and restore security and prosperity to our communities.”

Halevi, who succeeded Lt. Gen. (res.) Aviv Kochavi in January 2023, said his decision to step down stemmed from his “responsibility for the IDF’s failure” during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 cross-border massacre, in which Gaza terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.

“At this juncture, when the IDF has recorded significant achievements and is in the process of implementing a deal to release the hostages, I request to end my position on March 6, 2025,” Halevi wrote to Katz.

Finkelman assumed the leadership of the IDF’s Southern Command July 2023, succeeding Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano.