Israeli security leaders clash over Oct. 7 probe

Shafaq News/ Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir have publicly disagreed over the investigation of a senior officer linked to a review of the military’s response to the October 7 Hamas attack.

Katz accused the military of using legal probes to suppress internal criticism, citing the questioning of Reserve Brigadier General Oron Solomon, who led the Southern Command review.

“There should be no impression that Military Police investigations are being used to silence internal criticism,” Katz said, suggesting Solomon was targeted over findings critical of senior leadership.

Zamir dismissed the allegations as “false and baseless,” stating, “The Chief of Staff does not receive instructions through media statements.” He clarified that Solomon is being investigated for alleged breaches of information security, not for his role in the review.

The Chief of Staff also defended military legal bodies as “acting within professional and legal parameters.”

Solomon’s findings have not been released, but media reports indicate they include sharp criticism of top command decisions.

On October 7, Israel launched a war on Gaza in response to a Hamas operation that led to 250 hostages taken by Hamas, according to Israeli reports. Since then, at least 50,082 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 17,000 children, and more than 113,274 have been injured, with 11,000 missing, according to Al-Jazeera's tracker.