Israeli military and intelligence officials missed or ignored many warnings before hundreds of Hamas gunmen breached Israel’s Gaza perimeter fence at multiple locations 15 months ago and attacked nearby Israeli communities, IDF bases and a music festival. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

The IDF responded by launching an air and ground campaign in Gaza, during which more than 47,100 Palestinians have been killed, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Gen Halevi said in a televised address on Tuesday that Hamas’s military wing had been “severely damaged”, with most of the group’s leadership and military commanders have been killed along with almost 20,000 “operatives”.

He also promised that the IDF’s inquiry into the events of 7 October, which he plans to complete before leaving his role, would be “high quality, thorough, and fully transparent”.

However, he warned that the military inquiry “is focused solely on the IDF and does not encompass the broader factors that could prevent similar events in the future”.

“A commission of inquiry or any other external body can investigate and examine and will receive full transparency from the IDF,” he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Gen Halevi “for his many years of service and for commanding the IDF” during the war, saying it had “led to major achievements for Israel”.

Up to now, Netanyahu has said only that he is deeply sorry about what happened on 7 October and that he will have to answer “some tough questions” over his role, without acknowledging any responsibility. He has also said an independent commission of inquiry should wait until the end of the Gaza war.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid praised Halevi’s decision and called on Netanyahu to follow suit.

“Now, it is time for them to take responsibility and resign – the prime minister and his entire catastrophic government,” he said.