Finance
Israel military spokesperson, who was rebuked by defence chiefs, steps down
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on March 7, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on March 7, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
Israel's military spokesperson Daniel Hagari resigns after criticism from defense chiefs, amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's chief military spokesperson, one of the main public faces of the war in Gaza who faced criticism from Defence Minister Israel Katz, will step down from his post and retire, the military said on Friday.
The army said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a former special forces officer, would leave at the end of his term and had worked "in a time of one of the most complex wars in Israel's history, in a professional and devoted manner".
Israeli media outlets said an expected promotion had been blocked by the new head of the military, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, and Hagari's departure was a consequence of his strained relations with senior ministers.
Hagari was officially rebuked by then-army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi in December for overstepping his authority as spokesperson when he criticised a piece of proposed legislation that would decriminalize passing classified military information to the prime minister.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hagari's comments represented a "complete deviation from his authority".
Hagari issued an apology but came under further pressure when Katz criticised Halevi over what he said was a failure to cooperate fully with an inquiry by the State Comptroller into failures during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas.
Israeli media carried comments from Katz's spokesperson criticising Hagari after the military issued a statement saying it was cooperating with the inquiry.
Harari has been a familiar figure on Israeli television screens since the start of the war, delivering regular briefings as well as video statements from Gaza and other locations.
Halevi himself stepped down from his command this week after accepting responsibility for the failures around the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas-led gunmen that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken into Gaza as hostages.
Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians and devastated the coastal enclave, leaving most of the population sheltering in bombed-out buildings or tents.
(Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari is stepping down due to strained relations with the new head of the military and criticism from Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Hagari faced rebuke for overstepping his authority by criticizing proposed legislation and was described by Katz as deviating from his role.
His resignation comes amid a complex war in Gaza and following a significant attack on Israel by Hamas that resulted in numerous casualties.
The article does not specify a replacement for Hagari; it only mentions his departure at the end of his term.
The conflict has resulted in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths and widespread devastation in Gaza, leaving many residents without shelter.
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