Israeli sources reported on Tuesday night that the Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz, submitted his resignation to the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, and the Defense Minister, Amir Peretz.
The Israeli Jerusalem Post reported that Halutz wrote in his letter to Olmert and Peretz that “he felt a responsibility as the military's superior officer to remain in his position until the completion of the 50 internal probes into the performance of the military during the war, and until the army’s work plan for 2007 was completed”.
Olmert expressed sorrow to see Halutz leaving although he was aware of the resignation before its official announcement, he also asked Halutz to reconsider his decision.
Also, Amir Peretz, expressed his regret over Halutz's resignation, and said that he and Halutz agreed to meet on Wednesday morning. According to the Jerusalem Post report, senior Israeli officers predicted that the resignation came after Halutz received “inside information that he would take the fall in the results to be published in February by the government-appointed Winograd Commission”.
The officials stated that two weeks ago, Halutz said that he plans to remain in the army, but his new decision shows that “something extreme had changed his mind”. A source close to Halutz said that the latter planned to resign “from the beginning”.
Halutz came under sharp criticisms from commanders and politicians in Israel who called for his resignation after the 33-day war with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah party, last summer.
Several military and political leaders in Israel said that Halutz is responsible for the confusion and the orders that were distributed during the war.
They also hold Halutz responsible for the lack of the Army’s preparation for the war.
