Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot was born in 1960 in Tiberias and raised in Eilat. He holds a B.A in General History from Tel Aviv University and a graduate diploma from the US College of Military and Security Studies.

Eisenkot began his military service in the Golani Brigade, assuming various command positions - squad commander, platoon commander and company commander, operations officer, commander of the Orev platoon, commander of Battalion 13, and ultimately Commander of the Brigade (1997-1998).

In 1999 Eisenkot was appointed Military Secretary to the President and the Minister of Defense.

During the course of his career, he also commanded the Bashan Armored Division, the Judea and Samaria Division, the IDF Operations Branch and the Northern Command (2006).

Gadi Eisenkot was appointed Deputy Chief of General Staff in 2012, and in November 2014 was selected to become the 21st IDF Chief of the General Staff, a position he assumed in February 2015.

Eisenkot is married and the father of five.