The Israeli chief of staff wants to learn lessons from the failure of October 7

The chief of staff of the Israeli army said on Sunday that he wanted to learn lessons from the “failure” of October 7, according to a military statement quoting his words.

Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir was speaking before the start on Sunday evening of the official commemorations of the massacres of October 7, 2023, committed by the Palestinian movement Hamas in Israel and which led to the death of 1,221 people, the majority civilians, according to an AFP count.

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Increase the number of soldiers

“On October 7, the IDF (the Israeli army) experienced a resounding failure. But the IDF rose again and demonstrated exceptional determination, leading to a historic and unprecedented victory on several fronts,” said Eyal Zamir, during a meeting of the highest ranks of the Israeli army.

“Today we are taking stock of the investigations into the failures of October 7, while becoming fully aware of the scale of the disaster. But we must not get stuck in it: we must learn, draw lessons, implement them and move forward,” added Mr. Zamir, according to the press release.

Returning to what he had already said in the past, he insisted on the need to increase the number of soldiers, a central issue in Israeli society.

“Preparing for a surprise war”

“We must adapt the format of the IDF forces to the range of challenges and threats on several fronts. The IDF personnel constitute our strategic asset,” he said.

“Our strategy is based on preparation for a surprise war and the ability to neutralize serious threats as soon as they arise,” Mr. Zamir added.

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In retaliation for the attacks of October 7, the Israeli army launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip which devastated the Palestinian territory and killed more than 74,200 people, according to the latest report from the Gaza Ministry of Health, placed under the authority of Hamas, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.