JERUSALEM — Tensions between Israel’s military and political leadership have sharply escalated over the past week, with the military chief directly confronting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a recent meeting over plans to expand the Gaza war, two Israeli officials told CNN.
Tens of thousands of Israeli reservists have begun reporting for duty to prepare for the massive operation, despite the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir repeatedly voicing reservations about the decision to take over Gaza City after almost two years of fighting.
According to two Israeli officials who were briefed on the exchange, in two recent security cabinet meetings about the Gaza City operation, Zamir challenged the decision to carry out the offensive, focusing on the potential risks to the 48 Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza, and to soldiers on the battleground. He also raised objections to the displacement of up to one million Palestinians in the process and its potential humanitarian and strategic ramifications.
In the most recent stormy security cabinet meeting on Sunday evening, Zamir once again urged the ministers to consider the latest ceasefire proposal put forward by Egyptian and Qatari mediators that has been accepted by Hamas, the officials told CNN.
“There is a framework on the table, and we should take it,” he said, according to the Israeli officials briefed on the meeting.
Netanyahu chose not to raise the proposal or to put it on the cabinet’s agenda, but Zamir nevertheless insisted on making his case. The officials said the IDF chief also warned that the decision to take over Gaza City will eventually lead to a full Israeli military occupation of the Gaza Strip, with Israel bearing complete responsibility for its entire population.
“You need to understand that your decision to conquer Gaza City means that you are going to a full military administration – the only one who will bear responsibility for the local population will be the IDF,” he is said to have warned in comments that were leaked to a number of Israeli media outlets and confirmed by CNN.
The IDF spokesperson refused to comment on the quotes attributed to Zamir. CNN has reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office for comment.
Zamir’s reservations were dismissed by Netanyahu, who refused to discuss the partial ceasefire deal. The prime minister cited US President Donald Trump, saying, “Forget the partial deals... Go in with full force and finish this,” according to the sources. Netanyahu has instead insisted on a comprehensive deal that sees all the hostages released at once.
Only a minority of ministers expressed support for Zamir’s position, including members of Netanyahu’s Likud party. The prime minister’s far-right political allies, on the other hand, have accused the chief of staff of leading a weak and defeatist approach that is preventing victory over Hamas, the officials said.
The disagreements between Zamir and the government have deepened in recent weeks as reports of his opposition to the Gaza war expansion emerged.
In early August, Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister’s son, derided the IDF chief on social media, accusing him of leading a “rebellion and attempted military coup reminiscent of banana republics in the 1970s.” Netanyahu has not disavowed his son’s comments.
The latest clash reflects a broader pattern, with Netanyahu’s government having chronic tensions with the military echelon since the cabinet was sworn in in January 2023, often dismissing military advice. Netanyahu’s hardline, far-right allies frequently clash with the army over its policies in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
During nearly two years of war, tensions between government and military leaders have been frequent. Netanyahu has repeatedly attempted to deflect responsibility for the security lapses during the attacks of October 7, 2023, blaming security chiefs instead.
Over the past nine months, the prime minister has replaced all key security figures that were in office on the day of the attacks, including the minister of defense, the military chief and the head of the domestic security agency Shin Bet.
However, the current IDF chief of staff, unlike his predecessor, was appointed directly by Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. Previously serving as the prime minister’s military secretary, Zamir’s appointment was initially embraced by the government. But he quickly became a target for far-right frustration over the war’s proceedings.
Zamir’s opposition to the latest push to expand the war has escalated tensions further, prompting calls from some of Netanyahu’s allies for the military chief to resign, only half a year after his appointment.
A growing group of Israeli reservists announced Tuesday they will refuse to report for duty if called up for Israel’s planned military operation to seize Gaza City, citing the safety of Israeli hostages and deep concerns over the humanitarian toll of the war.
The reservists, who held a news conference in Tel Aviv, are part of a loosely organized movement calling itself “Soldiers for Hostages.”
Yotam Vilk, the group’s spokesperson, told CNN on Tuesday, said the movement began in response to what members see as Netanyahu’s “sabotaging” of hostage negotiations, risking the lives of Israeli captives still held in Gaza.
While the group’s primary focus is securing hostage releases, Vilk said its members also oppose the ongoing war in Gaza, arguing that its objectives have become unclear. “We have all served, and some of us will serve again, but we are against the ongoing war and the current campaign.”
In a letter to the Military Advocate General, the group called on the IDF top legal authority to stop the planned Gaza City offensive.
“It is clear that the order to conquer the city of Gaza exceeds all legal and moral standards. This order is blatantly illegal and must not be obeyed, and soldiers who comply with it may bear criminal and personal responsibility,” the letter reads.
The group has not received a response, according to Vilk. — CNN
