December 21, 2025
New Head of the Planning Directorate
MG Hidai Zilberman has assumed the position of Head of the Planning Directorate, replacing MG Eyal Harel, who served in the role over the past two and a half years.
The change of command ceremony was held today (Sunday) at Camp Rabin (the IDF Headquarters), led by the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, with the participation of commanders, soldiers, family members, and additional guests.
Remarks of the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir: “‘The willingness of commanders to always go themselves before those they lead is the source of the moral strength they need in order to make decisions’, said former Chief of the General Staff LTG (res.) Haim Bar-Lev. Distinguished guests, the commanders mentioned just now embody this very principle. They are commanders who grew from the ground up, of the highest quality, who believe in leading from the front and constitute a first-class asset. Humanity alongside professionalism; camaraderie alongside determination; personal commitment alongside systemic responsibility - all these shaped you, Eyal. The profound imprint you left during your years in a variety of roles and within the Planning Directorate will continue to influence the directorate and the IDF’s readiness for many years to come. Hidai, we have known one another for many years. Over the years, you commanded in combat, operational, and staff positions, establishing leadership from the front, deep understanding, and profound professional insight. You represented the State of Israel and the IDF with honor and conveyed Israel’s story in war with a clear and resolute voice. To the personnel of the Planning and Force Design Directorate, great appreciation is owed first and foremost to you. The directorate is where the reality of current combat is connected to the future of the IDF and the security of the State of Israel, against the backdrop of the changed security reality shaped by the past two years and two months of war. Your performance has proven significant for Israel’s security and future, and I am confident this will continue under Hidai’s command”.
Remarks of the Outgoing Head of the Planning Directorate, MG Eyal Harel: “After two and a half years, most of them during an intense, complex, and unprecedented multi-front campaign, I am concluding my role with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for the privilege I was given: to lead the Planning Directorate during such a meaningful and fateful period for the security of the State of Israel. Seven years in the Planning Directorate - as head of a department, head of a division, and the head of the directorate - and above all I carry deep appreciation for the most important strategic asset of the IDF: its people. The career service members - they are the backbone of the IDF and, at this time, also its protective wall.
Facing those who seek to annihilate the State of Israel, foremost among them the Ayatollah regime in Iran, and amid a multi-front, ongoing, and dynamic campaign, the Planning Directorate led the IDF’s strategy, cultivated and consolidated international partnerships and military diplomacy, and operated to build and strengthen the IDF’s force build-up. The directorate’s personnel played a central role in achieving the objectives of the war across all arenas, including major efforts to bring our hostages home. Alongside the Chief of the General Staff’s decision to reunify the Planning and Strategy Directorate, it can be said with satisfaction that the unified directorate is now involved in all areas of IDF activity, and now in an enhanced, broader, and more influential manner than in the past. Thank you, Chief of the General Staff, for the trust, backing, guidance, sacrifice, and courageous decision-making. Under your command, we changed the Middle East, and nothing less. To my colleague Hidai, who receives the baton today, you are the right commander at the right time, and I am confident in your success.
Our hearts are with the bereaved families. I wish a full recovery to all individuals harmed physically or emotionally, and I hope for the return of the last fallen hostage, Ran Gvili".
The change of command ceremony was held today (Sunday) at Camp Rabin (the IDF Headquarters), led by the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir, with the participation of commanders, soldiers, family members, and additional guests.
Remarks of the Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir: “‘The willingness of commanders to always go themselves before those they lead is the source of the moral strength they need in order to make decisions’, said former Chief of the General Staff LTG (res.) Haim Bar-Lev. Distinguished guests, the commanders mentioned just now embody this very principle. They are commanders who grew from the ground up, of the highest quality, who believe in leading from the front and constitute a first-class asset. Humanity alongside professionalism; camaraderie alongside determination; personal commitment alongside systemic responsibility - all these shaped you, Eyal. The profound imprint you left during your years in a variety of roles and within the Planning Directorate will continue to influence the directorate and the IDF’s readiness for many years to come. Hidai, we have known one another for many years. Over the years, you commanded in combat, operational, and staff positions, establishing leadership from the front, deep understanding, and profound professional insight. You represented the State of Israel and the IDF with honor and conveyed Israel’s story in war with a clear and resolute voice. To the personnel of the Planning and Force Design Directorate, great appreciation is owed first and foremost to you. The directorate is where the reality of current combat is connected to the future of the IDF and the security of the State of Israel, against the backdrop of the changed security reality shaped by the past two years and two months of war. Your performance has proven significant for Israel’s security and future, and I am confident this will continue under Hidai’s command”.
Remarks of the Outgoing Head of the Planning Directorate, MG Eyal Harel: “After two and a half years, most of them during an intense, complex, and unprecedented multi-front campaign, I am concluding my role with a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for the privilege I was given: to lead the Planning Directorate during such a meaningful and fateful period for the security of the State of Israel. Seven years in the Planning Directorate - as head of a department, head of a division, and the head of the directorate - and above all I carry deep appreciation for the most important strategic asset of the IDF: its people. The career service members - they are the backbone of the IDF and, at this time, also its protective wall.
Facing those who seek to annihilate the State of Israel, foremost among them the Ayatollah regime in Iran, and amid a multi-front, ongoing, and dynamic campaign, the Planning Directorate led the IDF’s strategy, cultivated and consolidated international partnerships and military diplomacy, and operated to build and strengthen the IDF’s force build-up. The directorate’s personnel played a central role in achieving the objectives of the war across all arenas, including major efforts to bring our hostages home. Alongside the Chief of the General Staff’s decision to reunify the Planning and Strategy Directorate, it can be said with satisfaction that the unified directorate is now involved in all areas of IDF activity, and now in an enhanced, broader, and more influential manner than in the past. Thank you, Chief of the General Staff, for the trust, backing, guidance, sacrifice, and courageous decision-making. Under your command, we changed the Middle East, and nothing less. To my colleague Hidai, who receives the baton today, you are the right commander at the right time, and I am confident in your success.
Our hearts are with the bereaved families. I wish a full recovery to all individuals harmed physically or emotionally, and I hope for the return of the last fallen hostage, Ran Gvili".
Remarks of the Incoming Head of the Planning Directorate, MG Hidai Zilberman: “I have returned, after more than four years in Washington, from a war for our home, far from home. I had the privilege to serve the State of Israel in the diplomatic realm during wartime, on U.S. soil. My head was in Israel, my feet were in the United States, but my heart was 100 percent at home. As one who now assumes the privilege of being the IDF’s planner, I commit to remembering every day in my role the horrific massacre, and above all what we learned from it: the need to be ready and capable at all times, and the obligation to build the IDF in the manner best suited to the challenges the future holds. And there are many.
Eyal, you steered the Planning Directorate’s ship through stormy waters and countless tempests. You stood on the directorate’s bridge as a fearless captain. Neither the deep waves nor the coastal waves diverted you from your course, because you are made of special material.
The Chief of the General Staff, we have known each other for many years, from different angles, in the field, at headquarters, and even through transoceanic working relationships. I appreciate the trust you and the Minister of Defense placed in me by selecting me for this important role.
My subordinates in the Planning Directorate, professionalism is our weapon, non-partisan conduct will always guide us, planning is our daily bread, and what is right to do for the IDF is our moral compass. Just before the holiday of Hanukkah comes to an end, we pray that Ran Gvili, the last fallen hostage in Gaza, will return to us soon”.
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