From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
New IDF Southern Command chief appears to prioritize defeating Hamas over freeing hostages
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor has entered the role of chief of the IDF Southern Command, replacing Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman who is resigning over his part in the failures that led to Hamas’s October 7 onslaught.
A handover ceremony took place earlier today inside the Gaza Strip, with new IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir attending.
Asor’s previous role in the IDF was head of the Personnel Directorate.
In his speech, Asor seemingly prioritizes the defeat of Hamas over the release of the hostages.
“The first mission — the complete destruction of Hamas terrorists,” Asor says.
He adds, “Those who have sworn to annihilate us, who sought to kill, destroy, and exterminate every Jew, young and old, infant and woman, in a single day…will face the crushing force and indomitable spirit of the soldiers of the IDF.”
Asor goes on to state, “The second mission — the return of our brothers who are suffering in captivity, both the living and the fallen.”
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