- Title: MIDEAST-ISRAEL/MILITARY Israel names new chief for its armed forces
- Date: 30th November 2014
- Summary: JERUSALEM (NOVEMBER 30, 2014) (REUTERS) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU CONVENING CABINET MEETING ISRAELI DEFENCE MINISTER MOSHE YAALON AT MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, SAYING: "Gadi (Eisenkot) is an experienced officer. He has gone through all levels of command and he will assume responsibility for.. will shoulder the
- Embargoed: 15th December 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA848EUIVB6BYI0D0C4IZHBGMAK
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE THIS EDIT CONTAINS VIDEO WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Israel has announced the appointment of a new chief of staff of its armed forces, Major-General Gadi Eisenkot, who has spent much of his operational career confronting Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon.
Eisenkot, 54, currently deputy to incumbent chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz, will take over in February when Gantz completes his four-year term.
"Gadi (Eisenkot) is an experienced officer. He has gone through all levels of command and he will assume responsibility for.. will shoulder the burden of a very great security mission as the IDF operates on various fronts, with growing challenges," Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday (November 30).
Eisenkot was the senior commander of forces along Israel's northern border with Lebanon and Syria and among a several other top positions, served as military attache to former prime minister Ehud Barak.
Described by top officers as a level-headed, quiet thinker, Eisenkot rose through the ranks in the infantry. Apart from commanding forces along the southern Lebanon border, in more junior roles he also led troops in the occupied West Bank.
In an interview in 2008, Eisenkot warned that Israel would use "disproportionate" force to destroy Lebanese villages from which Hezbollah guerrillas would fire rockets at its cities in any future war. He later clarified that the civilian population should be evacuated before such an attack.
During a month-long war in 2006, Israel accused Hezbollah of firing rockets from civilian homes in southern Lebanon, as did human rights groups which also criticised Israel for using excessive force resulting the deaths of civilians. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None