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Israel's military chief resigns | Israel's military chief resigns |
(about 4 hours later) | |
The head of Israel's armed forces, Lt Gen Dan Halutz, has resigned amid inquiries into last year's conflict with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. | |
Gen Halutz made the decision because military inquiries into various aspects of the war had been completed, Israel's Army Radio said. | |
But other inquiries are still being conducted into the government's handling of the 34-day conflict. | |
The military was widely criticised for failing to achieve its war aims. | The military was widely criticised for failing to achieve its war aims. |
The BBC's Rachel Harvey in Jerusalem says every aspect of the conflict has been scrutinised and the conclusions have been damning. | |
The military leadership has been criticised for poor planning, poor strategy and poor execution. | |
WAR IN LEBANON Began on 12 July 2006 and lasted 34 daysIsraeli deaths: 116 soldiers and 43 civiliansAbout 1,000 Lebanese killed, mostly civiliansExtensive damage to infrastructure, thousands of homes destroyed href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/5257128.stm" class="">Conflict facts and figures In particular, Gen Halutz is accused of relying too heavily on air power and waiting too long to send in ground troops. | |
When they were sent in, many complained of being poorly equipped. | |
Gen Halutz said he has decided to step down now because military inquiries into the conduct of the war had been completed. | |
"With the echoes of battle having faded, I have decided to act on my responsibility," he is quoted as saying in his resignation letter. | |
State radio said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had tried in vain to convince him to stay until the results of all the investigations were known. | |
Under pressure | |
Our correspondent says that now that the military chief has fallen on his sword, the spotlight is likely to shift back to the civilian leadership. | |
Beset by political scandals as well as criticism of the war, Mr Olmert is already under intense pressure, and there is no sign of any let up, she adds. | |
Ehud Olmert has been weakened by the conflictIsrael attacked the Lebanon-based Hezbollah after the group captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid last July. | |
But Israel failed to free the soldiers or soundly defeat Hezbollah before a ceasefire ended the fighting in August, with Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah claiming a strategic victory over Israel. | But Israel failed to free the soldiers or soundly defeat Hezbollah before a ceasefire ended the fighting in August, with Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah claiming a strategic victory over Israel. |
The Israeli army lost 116 soldiers. Forty-three Israeli civilians were also killed by more than 4,000 Hezbollah rocket attacks. | The Israeli army lost 116 soldiers. Forty-three Israeli civilians were also killed by more than 4,000 Hezbollah rocket attacks. |
About 1,000 Lebanese were killed in the conflict, mostly civilians in Israel's vast bombardment of the county and land invasion in the south. | About 1,000 Lebanese were killed in the conflict, mostly civilians in Israel's vast bombardment of the county and land invasion in the south. |
The war caused extensive damage to Lebanon's infrastructure. | |
A former air force head, Gen Halutz became chief of the armed forces in June 2005. | |
Several other senior army commanders have resigned over the handling of the war. |