As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to push forward with a contentious plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, an increasingly public rift has emerged between Israel’s political leadership and its military command. At the centre of the storm is Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who has openly opposed the proposed move, warning that it could endanger the lives of remaining hostages and exhaust the army.
The divide came to light during a tense three-hour closed-door meeting earlier this week involving Netanyahu, Zamir, and key security officials. According to media reports, Zamir told the prime minister that the proposed full occupation of Gaza would be a strategic blunder. “You’re going to create a trap in Gaza,” he reportedly said, arguing that such a decision would “significantly endanger the lives of the hostages and cause the erosion of the army.”
Netanyahu, facing pressure from far-right coalition partners who have long demanded a total takeover of Gaza, responded curtly. He directed Zamir to refine and resubmit plans for a ground campaign, despite the IDF’s apparent resistance. “Make the improvements and present it,” the prime minister reportedly insisted after Zamir stated that operational plans had already been submitted.
Zamir, who was scheduled to attend a CENTCOM change-of-command ceremony in the United States, cancelled the trip at the last minute, citing the deterioration of ceasefire and hostage negotiations. In a quiet but decisive move, he instead announced a reduction in the size of Israel’s standing army, reversing a wartime emergency order that had extended soldiers’ reserve duties by four months since the October 2023 Hamas attacks.
The cancellation of the emergency mobilisation came just as Netanyahu’s allies floated the idea of removing Zamir from his post should he continue opposing the occupation plan. While the IDF did not officially comment on the political speculation, many observers interpreted Zamir’s decision as a calculated act of restraint in defiance of the political tide.
The military has, until now, maintained control over approximately 75 per cent of Gaza. Under Netanyahu’s proposal, the IDF would be tasked with occupying the remainder, including heavily populated urban centres believed to be housing the remaining hostages. Intelligence assessments suggest that at least 20 of the 50 hostages are still alive. Hamas has repeatedly warned that any move to encroach on these areas could lead to their execution.
Zamir reportedly advocates a more strategic and less destructive approach: encircling key population centres like Gaza City and using those positions as bases for surgical operations. The aim, according to sources quoted in Hebrew media, is to minimise civilian casualties, protect hostages and avoid an indefinite ground presence that could sap the army’s strength.
The prime minister appears unfazed by the warnings. In private meetings, he has told ministers he will seek full cabinet approval for the Gaza occupation plan despite internal dissent. According to some websites, Netanyahu has accepted that hostages may die as a result of the operation but views a full military conquest as essential to securing Israel’s long-term objectives in the enclave.
But tensions erupted further following an extraordinary personal attack on Zamir by Netanyahu’s son, Yair, who does not hold any public office. From his residence in Miami, Yair Netanyahu accused the IDF chief of staging a “rebellion and attempted military coup fit for a banana republic in Central America during the 70s.” The remarks were sparked by a tweet from journalist Yossi Yehoshua criticising the occupation plan, which Yair implied was orchestrated by Zamir himself.
The IDF chief, present at the security meeting where the comments were discussed, reportedly confronted the prime minister directly: “Why are you attacking me? Why are you speaking against me in the middle of a war?” Netanyahu deflected the criticism, saying, “My son is 33, he’s a grown man,” before chastising Zamir for “threatening to quit” in the media.
The atmosphere of mistrust between the government and military brass has only deepened since. Defence Minister Israel Katz, while publicly affirming the military’s subordination to the political leadership, also issued a subtle warning that he expects the IDF to “professionally implement the determined policy” once final decisions are made. Katz was among the senior officials attending yesterday’s security meeting, which excluded far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich—both strong advocates for the full occupation of Gaza.
Ben Gvir responded by demanding that Zamir publicly commit to carrying out the political leadership’s decisions, regardless of his professional stance. “The chief of staff must say clearly that he will fully carry out the orders of the political echelon, even if it’s decided to go for full conquest and a clear result,” Ben Gvir posted on X.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, a member of Netanyahu’s government, offered rare public support for the embattled IDF chief. “The chief of staff is required to express his professional opinion clearly and unequivocally to the political echelon. He is not required to clarify the subordination of the military echelon to the government’s decisions,” Sa’ar wrote on social media.
Opposition leaders have warned that the public airing of disagreements could have dangerous implications. Yair Lapid, head of the opposition, said, “IDF soldiers should not think that a divided and conflicted leadership is leading them.” He warned that the “operational price” of political interference could deter military leaders from offering honest assessments.
Blue and White–National Unity chairman Benny Gantz also stepped in to defend Zamir. “In the State of Israel, the chief of staff is subordinate to the political echelon, as it has always been and will be, but he is not a puppet on a string or a rubber stamp,” Gantz wrote. “The problem lies with the political echelon, not the military one.”
Netanyahu is reportedly moving quickly to secure cabinet approval, with sources close to him telling Israeli media that “the direction is full occupation.” Yet military officials continue to warn that such a step could destabilise the region further, stretch IDF resources, and escalate the humanitarian crisis already unfolding in Gaza.
International concern is growing. At a UN Security Council meeting yesterday on the situation in Gaza, Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca warned that any further expansion of Israel’s military operations could have catastrophic consequences. “Such a move would risk catastrophic consequences and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza,” Jenca said. “There is no military solution to the conflict in Gaza or the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict.”