Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed retired Major General Eyal Zamir as Israel's new armed forces chief, replacing Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi who resigned last month. Zamir, who has been serving as defence ministry director general since 2023, previously served as the deputy chief of staff and head of the army's Southern Command. He takes on the role after his predecessor resigned, taking responsibility for failing to stop Hamas's attack in October 2023. Zamir led efforts to prevent offensive terror tunnels from Gaza into Israeli territory during his time as head of Southern Command.