From the Liveblog of
Thursday, March 27, 2025
IDF chief cancels officer’s appointment as new head of Paratroopers Brigade
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has decided not to appoint Col. Ephraim Avni, the operations chief at the IDF Southern Command, to head the Paratroopers Brigade.
Avni had been appointed to the position by former chief of staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, but Defense Minister Israel Katz refused to approve it, citing his possible involvement in the army’s failures relating to Hamas’s October 7 onslaught.
The military says that Zamir decided, ahead of a discussion on appointments on Monday, to not promote Avni until the IDF’s October 7 investigations that relate to the officer are completed and examined.
Another officer will be appointed to command the Paratroopers Brigade while Avni may be promoted in the future.
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