IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has appointed Maj. Gen. (res.) Roni Numa to lead a review of the “Jericho Wall” document, an assessment linked to Hamas’ deception campaign ahead of the Oct. 7 attacks. The document, revealed recently in Israeli media, had not been formally examined until now.
Numa, a former Central Command chief, is known for overseeing assistance to the ultra-Orthodox community during the COVID-19 crisis and for leading efforts to repair infrastructure around Gaza. Most recently, he testified in support of incoming Shin Bet Director David Zini during his appointment process.
The appointment was announced as Zamir presented his summary of the expert committee report on the quality of the IDF’s Oct. 7 inquiries, led by Maj. Gen. (res.) Sami Turgeman. Zamir outlined the lessons derived from the report and the directives for integrating them into the IDF’s long-term work plan.
To synchronize follow-up steps and ensure oversight, Zamir ordered the creation of a steering team led by the deputy chief of staff. The group will monitor how the lessons are folded into operational planning and training.
Zamir identified several priority areas for the military: preparing for surprise warfare as a central pillar of readiness; codifying norms of competence and preparedness across the organization; strengthening intelligence as a professional discipline; reaffirming ground maneuver as a key element of the IDF’s decisive capability; and reinforcing the profession of officership, including knowledge development, certification processes and maintaining proficiency.
A dedicated study day for the General Staff Forum will be held in the coming weeks, during which major generals will present their comments and outline how each directorate will implement the lessons. A similar presentation will be given shortly afterward to the Production and Deployment Forum.
Numa’s inquiry team, which will include several senior reserve officers, is expected to begin work immediately and deliver its conclusions as soon as possible.
“We are moving into the next phase regarding the inquiries of Oct. 7—the phase of integrating the lessons into the IDF’s work plan and implementing them,” Zamir said. “It is our duty to look failure in the eye and extract everything possible to ensure it is not repeated. I believe this process will guide the IDF for years to come, and we must ensure it is embedded throughout the organization.”