Eyal Zamir took over Wednesday as the 24th commander of the Israel Defense Forces, replacing Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who resigned over the military’s failure to prevent Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught.

Taking the helm, Zamir vowed to lead the military to victory, draft members of the ultra-Orthodox community, and bring home all the hostages still held by the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.

The handover began at an 11 a.m. ceremony at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, where the first order of the day promoted Zamir, 59, to the rank of lieutenant general, the military’s highest rank.

Due to the handover ceremony taking place in wartime, the IDF forwent dress uniforms and both Halevi and Zamir wore their work uniforms, known in the military as Madei Bet.

Zamir, who until recently served as the director general of the Defense Ministry, returned to the military to lead it in the ongoing war. He was tapped by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz last month.

Halevi announced his departure in January after only two years in the role rather than the traditional four. He had long been expected to step down once the war in Gaza began winding down, over the military failures that enabled the Hamas attack to occur.

In his first speech after being promoted, Zamir said: “The task that I am receiving today is clear: to lead the IDF to victory,”

“I receive command of the IDF today, modestly and with humility. On October 7, the border was breached, and our enemies infiltrated our communities. Out of the fracture, the people of Israel rose and again proved their power in the moment of truth,” he said.

“The IDF has achieved impressive achievements on the battlefield. We won battles in Gaza and Lebanon, we struck far away in Yemen and Iran. Hamas received a heavy blow, but it has not yet been defeated. The mission has not yet been completed,” he said.

Addressing the families of hostages still held by the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip, Zamir said, “Your loved ones are before my eyes. Our moral duty is clear: Bring everyone back home, in any way possible and as quickly as possible.”

In comments aimed at the ultra-Orthodox community, Zamir said he “urges all segments of Israeli society to participate in the mitzvah [religious commandment] of defending the homeland. This is a shared responsibility.”

“The IDF is the army of the people. Facing external threats, we must have cohesion of the ranks. We will work to expand the ranks. The defensive missions must be shared,” he said.

Speaking at the same ceremony, outgoing chief Halevi called for establishing a national commission of inquiry into the October 7 onslaught.

“The establishment of a state commission of inquiry is........

© The Times of Israel