New IDF chief declares 2025 "year of war" focused on Gaza and Iran

Incoming IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir informed the high command on March 6 night that “2025 will be a year of war focused on Gaza and Iran,” while also emphasising that “other fronts will be given attention.”

Zamir stressed that his leadership would place a strong emphasis on “victory” as a core value, explaining that in recent years, the IDF had been primarily focused on achieving “relative victory or deterrence”, Caliber.Az reports referencing Israeli media.

Regarding the hostages held by Hamas, Zamir stated that “all efforts will be made to return them,” although he did not outline any specific policy changes to achieve this goal.

In addition, he announced that a “new IDF budgetary framework will be set in the second half of 2025.”

Addressing structural changes within the military, Zamir confirmed his decision to “break up the IDF Strategy and Iran Command into other components within different IDF commands.” 

He pointed out that the IDF has developed multiple “relatively new Iran units within the IDF Intelligence and Air Force commands.” These newer units, he suggested, “may have made the old unified Iran-focused command less central.”

To implement lessons from the October 7 IDF probes published over the past week, Zamir appointed former Major General Sami Turgeman to lead a commission. He also “ordered full cooperation with outside authorities probing October 7” — a reference likely to the State Comptroller’s Office, which had previously clashed with his predecessor, Herzi Halevi, over wartime cooperation.

Zamir also decided to “add a new tank division and consider adding a new infantry division.” Additionally, he “may take apart the Northern Infantry Forces Command, which runs in parallel to the Northern Command.”

On March 5, Eyal Zamir officially assumed command as the 24th Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), succeeding Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi who resigned in the wake of the military’s failure to prevent Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.

During a ceremony at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv, Zamir was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, the military’s highest rank. Zamir, 59, was appointed to lead the IDF in the ongoing war after being selected by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz last month.

Halevi, who had served in the position for two years, announced his resignation in January, stepping down earlier than the traditional four-year term following the military’s failure to prevent the Hamas assault.

In further leadership changes, Defence Minister Israel Katz appointed former Ground Forces Chief Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai as Zamir’s deputy. 

By Tamilla Hasanova