During his meeting with residents of Ein HaBesor in southern Israel, Halevi stated that the army “settled matters from the first minute,” but he admitted that Tel Aviv should have acted more decisively before the Palestinian Hamas movement’s attack in October 2023. The Israeli “Ynet” published a recording of Herzl Halevi’s statements, which are noteworthy because they are close to the current figures issued by the Gaza Health Ministry. Israeli officials have consistently denied these figures as Hamas propaganda, although international humanitarian relief agencies have considered the ministry’s numbers credible.
The official toll in Gaza has risen to 64,718 dead and 163,859 injured since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023, with fears that thousands of victims remain buried under the rubble. Reports indicated that Israeli airstrikes over just 24 hours resulted in the death of 65 Palestinians, most of whom were in Gaza.
Halevi also addressed the role of military lawyers in his statements, affirming that they never restricted his decisions and that legal consultations did not affect field operations, but merely provided cover to defend the army in international forums. Herzl Halevi stepped down from his position as Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army in March 2025, after leading the army during the first 17 months of the Gaza war, which is now approaching its second anniversary.
