IDF sets new readiness guidelines based on lessons from Oct. probes

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has approved a wide-ranging set of internal directives aimed at strengthening the army’s core readiness and embedding lessons from Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, as the military moves from initial probes of the failures surrounding the invasion itself toward a broader war-wide investigation process following a senior command conference held earlier today, the Times of Israel has learned.

The guidelines were finalized after the IDF completed its internal probes into the October 7 failures and are intended to shift the focus toward systemic implementation. They address readiness and alert levels, training and exercises, operational planning, manpower, safety oversight and support for wounded soldiers and bereaved families, following more than two years of sustained fighting across multiple fronts.

The Times of Israel has further learned that the military is preparing to launch an in-depth, General Staff-level investigation into the war in the coming weeks, expected to span roughly a year, confirming earlier reports. The process will involve relevant commanders alongside oversight and integration teams and will examine key phases of the fighting in Gaza, southern Lebanon and the northern West Bank, as well as the conduct of the war as a whole and lessons for future conflicts.

Among the measures approved are adjustments to alert postures and on-call force levels across all arenas, the definition of readiness “red lines,” expanded training programs for regular and reserve forces, efforts to restore the fitness of weapons and equipment after prolonged wartime use and tighter safety oversight. The directives are to be disseminated to commanders in an orderly manner as the IDF transitions from investigation to implementation.