Anger in Israeli army as Katz orders review of 7 October report
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Monday ordered a review of a recent investigation into military failings in the lead-up to the 7 October attacks, raising tensions with Israel's defence establishment.
This came a day after IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir fired several senior officers and issued formal reprimands to others on the back of the report, which he said showed a "severe, resounding, systemic failure" on the part of the military.
The investigation – carried out by former senior officers and released earlier this month - found significant intelligence and operational failings that led to the deaths of more than 1,200 people during the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel.
In a challenge to Zamir, Katz responded by instructing a high-level official in the defence ministry to re-examine the report while ordering a freeze on all senior appointments in the military until the findings are submitted.
Katz's attempts to install allies in the upper echelons of the military have ignited tensions between the two men in recent months. Some officials have warned that the minister is attempting to politicise the Israeli army.
Senior officers expressed anger at Katz's decision in comments to the Israeli press, accusing him of trying to pin the blame for 7 October on the military and shield the government from criticism.
"The defence minister is engaged in cheap politics, national security is the last thing that matters to him," one official told Israel Hayom.
This comes as the government comes under fire for refusing to allow an independent inquiry into the failings that led up to the 7 October attacks.
The cabinet earlier this month said it would appoint a government committee to investigate the causes of the attack, rather than allow a state commission of inquiry led by a judge.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – who is fighting corruption charges in an ongoing trial – has long rejected calls for an inquiry.
The decision was met with outrage among opposition figures and campaign groups, who accused the government of attempting to whitewash its failures in the lead-up to the attack.