From the Liveblog of
Friday, February 14, 2025
IDF chief tells released surveillance soldiers he takes responsibility for their abduction
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi told the released surveillance soldiers in a meeting earlier today that he takes responsibility for them being abducted during the October 7 onslaught.
“I want you to know that the entire IDF worked very hard to bring back the hostages, to return you, it continues to work. Soldiers dreamed of freeing you,” Halevi told Agam Berger, Liri Albag, Naama Levy and Karina Ariev, according to leaked remarks.
“I know about the very high-quality work of the surveillance soldiers, even those who are unfortunately not with us, who did outstanding work,” he says.
“In the investigations, we looked into the effect of your work on what happened, and there are things we learned that should change.
“From me personally and in the name of the commanders in the IDF, I am very sorry for everything you have been through; it’s our responsibility, and we can’t go back and change. We are very focused on learning so that this will not recur.
“From what you have told me now, I understand that you, with superior heroism, have dealt with unimaginable difficulty, both during captivity and in the way you were during the release,” Halevi adds.
