Zamir rewrites the IDF’s readiness doctrine at Glilot on the third anniversary of October 7
The chief of staff told brigadier-generals and above that the army will size itself against what its enemies can do, not what intelligence thinks they mean to do.
Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir convened officers at the rank of brigadier-general and above from across the IDF’s commands, directorates and branches at the Glilot base on 4 October 2026, three years after the Hamas assault, to present the conclusions of the October 7 investigations. The Jerusalem Post’s Amir Bohbot reported that Zamir announced changes to the military’s readiness strategy and intelligence posture, the central one being a shift to basing readiness on what adversaries are capable of doing rather than on assessments of what they intend to do. The IDF will also expand its forces. The Times of Israel liveblog of the same conference records Zamir presenting a certificate of appreciation to a Chief Warrant Officer identified only as “Vav,” the standard handling for classified units.
Assessment: This is the doctrinal sequel to a personnel purge. In February 2026 Zamir formally dismissed the heads of intelligence, operations and Southern Command — most of whom had already resigned — and censured the sitting intelligence, air force and navy chiefs, who kept their jobs. Announcing the doctrine on the anniversary, to a room of generals, with the Spokesperson’s Unit supplying the imagery, is institutional closure staged for the public. A capabilities-based model is also the most expensive thing an army can promise: it ends only when the enemy’s capabilities end, and it lands on a government that will be formed by someone else in late November. One small tell about Israeli newsrooms' anniversary week: the Post filed the story under /israel-news/culture/.