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JERUSALEM, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Israel's cabinet approved on Sunday the appointment of Deputy Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi as the military's 22nd Chief of Staff.
Kochavi is "an appreciated commander, with many achievements and innovation plans. He will bring us to new heights," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the weekly cabinet meeting.
The incumbent chief of staff, Gadi Eizenkot, is scheduled to step down on Dec. 31, after which Kochavi, 54, is expected to assume the position.
Kochavi, a former head of the Military Intelligence, is best known for his service as the Gaza Division Commander during Israel's withdrawal from the Palestinian coastal enclave in 2005.
