Chief Of The General Staff Participates in the IAF Operational Conference

Attached are the full remarks of the Chief of the General Staff:

“The start was very difficult. It was very hard to even imagine such a difficult start. But we persevered, albeit at a very high cost, and we regained our composure and gained the strength to launch a very high-quality and powerful offensive, and we will forcefully continue with it until we achieve all our objectives in this war. Why have we not investigated yet? We are in a very intense war, dealing with many fronts, as I previously mentioned, with intense operations also inside the Gaza Strip itself. An investigation takes time, an investigation requires availability, and - we all understand - difficult investigations also require emotional capacity, so it's important to conduct them properly. This is why we waited until now.

On the other hand, our intention is very clear. To investigate, and to learn, and to get to the bottom of things, and to leave no stone unturned. We want to learn, understand what worked, understand what didn’t work, what we could have done differently, and to put it simply, to be better so that it won’t change our ability to deter and our ability to prevent. We agreed upon five values ​​that will guide us throughout this investigation: truth, transparency, practicality, responsibility, and, last but certainly not least, and very importantly, camaraderie. In these very complicated investigations, I believe that if we all adhere to these five values, we can be successful. It will be a difficult journey. We will emerge on the other side strengthened and much better, and that is exactly what we need.

I see the quality of the Israeli Air Force and its centrality in all phases of combat. It is a source of pride. I see its activity, both in the planning and implementation of plans, I see the results, and I see it during visits. Battalion commanders and brigade commanders approach me and tell me: ‘The Air Force is here with us in a way that we have never seen before.'"