A conference for senior command staff, from Brigadier General rank and above, focusing on the process of debriefing, learning, and examining the status of lesson implementation from the October 7th events, was held today (Sunday) at Camp Glilot, headed by the Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and attended by commanders from all IDF commands, directorates, and branches.
At the opening of the conference, the commanders stood for a moment of silence in memory of all those who fell in the October 7th massacre.
As part of the conference, the October 7th debriefings were summarized, and the main lessons learned from them were presented. The General Staff bodies presented the processes for implementing the lessons and the control mechanisms for their application, and commanders’ remarks were heard.
The conference constitutes the first stage in a series of war debriefings that will be summarized in the IDF in the coming period, including debriefings of Operation “Lion’s Roar” and subsequently a summary of all war lessons. Within the framework of the conference, the General Staff debriefing focal points and the plan for the continuation of the debriefing and learning process were also presented.
In addition, during the conference, the Chief of Staff presented a certificate of appreciation to Warrant Officer V. from Unit 8200, who had warned before October 7th that Hamas was prepared for a large-scale surprise attack. The Chief of Staff concluded the conference and emphasized that summarizing the debriefings and implementing the lessons are critical steps towards formulating the IDF’s strategy for the day after.
The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, said: “I chose to convene the senior command forum of the IDF today, on the eve of the National Memorial Day for the October 7th events, as a message. We are examining the status of lesson implementation from the October 7th debriefings, understanding the magnitude of the failure while recognizing that we must not dwell on it, but rather learn, draw lessons, improve, and move forward. The October 7th events continue to accompany us, and our duty is to ensure they do not happen again.”
“Today marks the kickoff for a long process of learning and drawing lessons. The year 2027 will be designated as the year for debriefing the entire war and drawing lessons from it – strategic lessons and general lessons for the entire IDF. We will increase our focus on this to improve the IDF’s fitness and its readiness for war.”
“We are building the IDF’s strategy with our reference scenario being readiness for war with surprise, including thwarting severe threats in their formation – this is our operational compass. on October 7th, the IDF failed miserably, but the IDF rose to its feet and proved itself to have a determined spirit and achieved a historic and unprecedented multi-front victory; this is thanks to the heroism of the combatants, the sacrifice, the leadership of the commanders, and the inter-branch synergy.”
“We have removed threats, we are operating on all fronts, defending from the front and continuing to pursue our enemies everywhere. Our message is clear: anyone who threatens to harm us and builds the capabilities to do so – we will act in advance and strike them a decisive blow.”
“One of our greatest lessons is the need to expand security margins. The State of Israel is a small country geographically, without territorial depth, facing multi-front threats. We need to build the IDF’s force buildup in the face of all challenges and threats. The size of the IDF is our strategic depth. Therefore, we must increase the IDF and adapt it to its expanding missions.”
“It was important for me to invite Warrant Officer V. here. V. is a clear example of intellectual courage and professionalism. In our organizational culture, we must not allow a lecturing discourse, intellectual tyranny, or the suppression of critical thinking. As commanders, we must ensure that we demand freedom of expression from our personnel as an essential component of our operational culture and in our formations.”
“The entire IDF is in constant readiness. We are all on guard. It is our duty to prevent surprise and prepare for surprise. We are in a period of tension and alertness, and everyone in their sector must be alert and ready. We are building our future and moving forward. Much appreciation to you and to all IDF units for the hard work. Only our actions will speak.”
