Over the past two weeks, incoming Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir visited several combat zones as part of his transition into the role and to assess the IDF’s readiness.
He toured Jenin, the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, meeting with senior officers and discussing plans for the continuation of fighting, with a particular focus on offensive strategies.
Over the past two weeks, incoming IDF chief of staff Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir held a series of visits to all of the military's combat fronts, "as part of the process of his entry to the role and an examination of IDF's readiness," the military says.
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Zamir met with senior officers in… pic.twitter.com/KmzzYLkqDg
Zamir, 59, is set to officially become the IDF’s 24th chief of staff on Wednesday, replacing Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who is stepping down following the military’s failure to prevent the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The current director general of the Defense Ministry, Zamir will be the first IDF chief to come out of the Armored Corps since David (“Dado”) Elazar in the 1970s.
Zamir previously served as deputy chief of staff (2018-2021). Before that, he led the IDF Southern Command (2015-18).
During that time, he helped formulate war plans focused on Hamas and contemplated scenarios in which the terrorist faction might be replaced in Gaza, though these plans were not updated by subsequent Southern Command leaders.
While at the helm of the defense ministry, Zamir spearheaded efforts over the past year to greatly ramp up domestic weapons production to reduce reliance on imports, working with local defense companies.
