Israel names new military chief

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Israel has named Maj Gen Gabi Ashkenazi as its new military chief, following the resignation last week of his predecessor, Lt Gen Dan Halutz.

Gen Ashkenazi, 52, is a career soldier who is currently director-general of the defence ministry.

PM Ehud Olmert was confident he could "implement the lessons from the war in Lebanon", a government statement said.

Gen Halutz stepped down last week after tough criticism over his handling of the war with Hezbollah last summer.

Former deputy

Gen Ashkenazi joined the Golan infantry brigade in 1972 and later became its leader.

In 1998 he served as commander of Israel's northern military region.

In 2002 he was appointed the military's deputy chief of staff, but later resigned when Gen Halutz was given the top job.

Gen Halutz faced tough criticism over the war

A government statement said Mr Olmert and Defence Minister Amir Peretz were confident in his ability to fill the post successfully.

Gen Ashkenazi's appointment must now be approved by the Cabinet and a civil service committee.

Experts say his mission will be to restore public confidence hard-hit by the war in Lebanon.

Israel attacked the Lebanon-based Hezbollah after the group captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid last July.

But it failed to free the soldiers or destroy Hezbollah before a ceasefire ended the fighting in August.

About 1,000 Lebanese were killed in the conflict, mostly civilians in Israel's vast bombardment of the country and land invasion in the south.

The Israeli army lost 116 soldiers. Forty-three Israeli civilians were also killed by more than 4,000 Hezbollah rocket attacks.