Marking Oct. 7 anniversary, IDF chief says it is ‘our duty to investigate’ Hamas attack

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says it is Israel’s “duty” to fully investigate the Hamas-led massacre of October 7, 2023 in order to ensure its lessons are learned.

Marking three years since the deadly attack, Zamir says that “an entire nation bows its head in mourning. We remember the civilians murdered in their homes, the young people who went out to dance and never returned, those who were abducted and murdered in captivity, the male and female combat soldiers and all the soldiers who fell, the members of the security forces, and the emergency and rescue teams who rushed into the inferno and fell in battle.”

Zamir adds that “we will carry their stories with us and educate future generations of commanders and soldiers in their light. It is our duty to investigate and ensure that the lessons are implemented so that we may be more worthy of the trust the people have placed in us.”

The prospect of a full investigation into the attack has become a political flashpoint in the three years, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refusing to approve a state commission of inquiry, the country’s highest investigative authority.

The IDF chief says the October 7 attack saw the rise of “the heroism of a generation. The people of Israel, in all their diversity, stood up to defend their home and restore security.”

“In the darkest moments, the unity and exemplary spirit of Israeli society were revealed — a people rushing to aid its sons and daughters, fighting for its renewal, and leaving no one behind,” he added. “This is the spirit of victory, a spirit our enemies will never be able to break.”

Zamir said that the IDF “will carry with us the memory of the fallen and the lessons of October 7, and we will build a future in which Israel’s citizens live securely in their homeland…. This is our duty to the fallen, our responsibility to the citizens of Israel, and our oath to future generations.”