IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir has completed a revamp of the IDF General Staff.
All members of the General Staff, except Zamir, hold the rank of major-general, with new members being promoted to this rank.
In the most important change from Tuesday night’s shake-up, Zamir appointed Home Front Command chief Maj.-Gen. Rafael David “Rafi” Milo as the new Northern Command chief, replacing Maj.-Gen. Ori Gordin.
Gordin had already completed a standard three years in his post, had requested to move on, and after vanquishing Hezbollah in September 2024 and much of Assad’s Syrian weaponry in December 2024, had achieved a uniquely high status within the military.
The switch will take a few months, following which Gordin is expected to spend time in military academic studies awaiting an appointment either to head IDF Intelligence, currently run by Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder, or an appointment as deputy chief of staff, currently held by Maj.-Gen. Tamir Yadai.
Gordin, Yadai, Milo, and Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (res) Amir Baram may all compete to replace Zamir at the end of his term or to take over from his replacement in two terms.
In addition, 91st “Galilee” Division Commander Brig.-Gen. Shai Kalper, a top commander under Gordin on the northern front, was appointed as the next Home Front Command chief and will be promoted to major-general.
Maj.-Gen. Dan Goldfus, who previously headed the Northern Corps Reserve Command, will become the head of the Depth Corps, responsible for coordinating the military’s long-range operations and missions deep in enemy territory.
In turn, Judea and Samaria Division chief Brig.-Gen Yaakov “Yaki” Dolf will replace Goldfus and be promoted to major-general.
Maj.-Gen. Hidai Zilberman, who previously served as the IDF’s defense attaché to Washington as well as IDF spokesperson, will be the next head of the IDF’s Planning Directorate.
Brig.-Gen. Dan Noyman will take over the IDF’s Military Colleges and be promoted to major-general.
Ground Forces Chief of Staff Brig.-Gen. Rami Abudraham will take over the Technological and Logistics Directorate and be promoted to major-general.
Zamir's previous appointments to IDF General Staff
Shortly after Zamir took charge in March, he had appointed Yadai to replace Baram as IDF deputy chief of staff, Yaniv Asor to replace Yaron Finkelman as Southern Command chief, Yitzhak “Itzik” Cohen to replace Oded Basiuk as Operations Directorate chief (though due to the Israel-Iran War, this change was delayed for a few months), and Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin to replace R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari as IDF spokesperson.
Given that there are fewer than 20 members of the IDF General Staff, Zamir has now personally appointed a majority of the current members.
The major long-standing and powerful members who still have not moved from their posts are Air Force chief Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar, Navy chief V.-Adm. David Saar Salama, and Military Advocate-General Maj.-Gen. Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi.
Binder and Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth have both only been in office for around one year.