Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai tapped as next IDF deputy chief of staff under Eyal Zamir

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday that he had nominated former Ground Forces chief Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai for the position of Israel Defense Forces deputy chief of staff.

Yadai is set to replace Maj. Gen. Amir Baram when he finishes his time in the role at the end of this month, and will serve under the incoming chief of staff Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, who will step into the role on March 5.

“I am convinced of Maj. Gen. Yadai’s ability to make a significant contribution in the role of deputy chief of staff to reinforce the IDF’s strength in force buildup and offensive capabilities in the face of the many security challenges we face these days,” Katz said in a statement.

Yadai was among three generals named by Katz as candidates to replace outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who announced his resignation over the military’s failure to prevent Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught. The other two candidates were Baram and Zamir, with the latter ultimately being chosen to lead the army.

Yadai, 55, began his service in the Golani Brigade. He rose through the ranks and went on to command the brigade in 2005, including during the Second Lebanon War.

In 2009, he was appointed as head of the 80th Edom Regional Division — responsible for the borders with Egypt and Jordan — and between 2013 and 2015 served as the commander of the West Bank division.

Then-commander of the Judea and Samaria Division Tamir Yadai during an interview on January 6, 2014. (Yossi Zeliger/Flash90)

In 2017, Yadai was promoted to the rank of major general and served as head of the Home Front Command until 2020, including during the outbreak of COVID-19, which led the army’s response to the virus.

He was then appointed to head the IDF Central Command, though he only served in the role for less than a year and was moved to lead the IDF Ground Forces, his third major general role.

Yadai served as chief of the Ground Forces until December 2024, requesting that his three-year tenure not be extended further. During his time in the role, he was responsible for IDF ground troops amid the ongoing war, which began on October 7, 2023.

Zamir, once he enters the role on March 5, will be responsible for appointing numerous commanders, both because appointments of senior officers have been on hold and because several top generals are expected to resign over October 7, following in Halevi’s footsteps.