Israeli website Walla reported on Tuesday that Major General Tamir Yadai, the commander of the ground forces in the Israeli army, will resign from his position for personal reasons. This move is considered "an earthquake in the general staff," especially since he was being prepared for the position of deputy chief of staff.

He informed Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi of his intention to resign in the coming weeks, and Security Minister Yoav Gallant has approved the request, according to the website.

Walla reported that sources in the occupation army believe that “Yadai’s decision may stem from his assessment that he will not be appointed deputy chief of staff,” as assessments indicate that the current chief of staff, Major General Amir Baram, “will not end his position soon,” and that “Halevi does not intend to recommend him for the position of his next deputy.” 

According to the website, Yadai's resignation comes as the general staff has been "on high alert recently" due to the ongoing war, discussions over a prisoner exchange deal, and other anticipated changes within the General Staff.

The Israeli newspaper noted that Yadai's resignation would require the chief of staff to appoint a new commander of the ground forces and could increase the chances of Major General Ori Gordin, commander of the Northern Command, being named as the next deputy chief of staff. However, Gordin has faced criticism for his recent conduct as commander of the Northern Command, particularly in the context of the battles with Hezbollah.

A wave of resignations

Yadai's resignation follows a wave of resignations within the security and military establishment. Two days ago, Walla reported that Brigadier General Yossi Sariel, the commander of Unit 8200, also plans to announce his resignation in the coming weeks. This development comes about a week after Hezbollah targeted the main headquarters of Unit 8200 at the Glilot base near Tel Aviv, in response to the aggression that struck the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The Military Intelligence Directorate's Unit 8200, known for its expertise in signal intelligence (SIGINT) and code decryption, counterintelligence, cyber warfare, military intelligence, and surveillance, plays a pivotal role in Israeli security and is comparable to the United States National Security Agency (NSA). 

Unit 8200 is also the IOF's largest intelligence collector and has seen a revolutionary upheaval under Sariel, who pushed for the integration of AI into the force's function. Renowned for his work within intelligence circles, Sariel has made a series of blunders that have cast a grim shadow over his career in the Military Intelligence Directorate (Aman). 

Not only had Sariel failed to take the appropriate security measures before October 7, but he had also mistakenly revealed his identity to the public. The head of Unit 8200 and other top commanders of strategic units in the IOF are kept a top secret. However, a mistake made by Sariel himself at an earlier time nullified the effects of Israeli protocols. 

Read next: Israeli Central Command officer follows intel chief, intends to resign