Bar Kalifa Tapped as Next IDF Central Command Chief

Defense Minister Israel Katz has approved IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir's nomination of Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa to become the next head of Central Command, effective 2027, pending an operational assessment. Bar Kalifa currently heads the IDF's Personnel Directorate and previously commanded the 36th Division during combat operations in Gaza, giving him extensive frontline experience against Hamas. Zamir has also put forward dozens of additional senior officer appointments as part of a broader reshuffle of the IDF's top brass, though those nominations still require Katz's sign-off. The moves reflect ongoing efforts to reshape military leadership following the prolonged Gaza campaign.