IDF ops. chief Brig.-Gen. Yisrael Shomer resigns following sexual misconduct investigation

Brig.-Gen. Yisrael Shomer, a high-ranking officer in the IDF's Operations Branch, has resigned from the military following an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct. Shomer, who oversaw operational planning across combat arenas, was questioned by military police on suspicion of institutional offenses related to a consensual relationship with an officer under his command.

Following the investigation, Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir intended to suspend Shomer. However, Shomer preempted this by submitting his resignation to Maj.-Gen. Itzik Cohen, head of the Operations Branch. Zamir accepted the resignation, and Shomer officially retired from the IDF on Tuesday evening. His position typically leads to a major-general rank.

Shomer's military career, which began in the Nahal Brigade, has previously faced scrutiny. In 2016, while commanding the Binyamin Brigade, he fatally shot a 17-year-old Palestinian attacker. An investigation determined that his actions, firing while in motion without aiming, did not comply with open-fire instructions. The case was closed as an operational error without criminal charges.

Further complicating his record, then-Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot postponed Shomer's promotion in 2018 due to a professional lapse. Despite these incidents, Shomer continued to rise through the ranks, eventually being promoted to brigadier-general in 2023 and appointed to command the “HaMapatz” Division. He was also present at his home in Kfar Aza during the October 7th militant infiltration.