Giora Eiland is a Major General (res.) in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and former head of Israel's National Security Council. He served in the IDF for 33 years from 1970 to 2003. Born in Kfar Hess, Israel, he holds a B.A. in economics and an M.B.A. from Bar Ilan University. His military career began with enlistment in the Paratroopers Brigade Battalion 890, where he participated in key operations including the Yom Kippur War (1973 Battle of the Chinese Farm), Operation Entebbe (1976), Operation Litani (1978), and the First Lebanon War (1982) as commander of the 50th Airborne Battalion. He advanced to significant roles such as Commander of the IDF Officers School (1990–1992), Commander of the Givati Brigade (1992–1993), Head of the Paratroopers and Infantry Corps (1993, promoted to Brigadier General), Head of Operations Division (1996), Head of Operations Directorate (1999–2001, promoted to Major General, overseeing the 2000 IDF withdrawal from Lebanon), and Head of Planning Directorate (2001–2003, involved in Israeli–Palestinian peace process talks). From 2004 to 2006, he served as Head of Israel's National Security Council under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, contributing to the Gaza disengagement plan, strategic assessments on Iran, Lebanon, and terrorism, the first governmental cyber threats steering committee, and oversight of the Counter-Terrorism Department; he resigned citing inability to influence processes. Post-retirement, Eiland founded Giora Eiland Ltd. in 2007, a consulting firm for governments, multinationals, and the defense industry (e.g., IAI, Israel Military Industries), including expert testimony in the 2015 Egyptian gas pipeline arbitration resulting in $1.8B compensation. He headed the 2006 committee investigating the Gilad Shalit capture and the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid examination committee, serves as a senior research associate at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), acts as an external advisor to Givot Olam Oil, and is a frequent media commentator on security issues. In 2025, he is partnering with Champel Capital to raise a $100M defense fund. His website is https://gioraeiland.com. Eiland is known for advocating severe military strategies in Gaza, including the 2023 'Generals' Plan' proposing evacuation of northern Gaza, a siege on food, fuel, and water, and treating non-evacuees as combatants to destroy Hamas and secure hostages—condemned by Gisha and the U.S. State Department as a potential 'Nakba,' though Eiland later stated in December 2024 it was not implemented. In a 2023 op-ed, he argued that epidemics in Gaza could reduce IDF casualties and hasten victory, drawing condemnation from 15 Israeli health experts for advocating civilian harm. He has also advocated creating a humanitarian crisis in Gaza to pressure for hostage releases, while opposing a ground invasion of Gaza and escalation with Hezbollah.