Israel defence cabinet push back on natanyahu control plan

Defence affairs analysis

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced pushback from the head of the military over his proposal to seize remaining areas of Gaza it doesn’t already control during a tense three-hour meeting, three Israeli officials said.

Eyal Zamir, the military chief of staff, warned the prime minister that taking the rest of Gaza could trap the military in the territory, which it withdrew from two decades ago, and could lead to harm to the hostages being held there, the sources briefed on the Tuesday meeting said.

The Israeli military says it already controls 75 percent of Gaza after nearly two years of war, which began when militant group Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities in October 2023. Much of the crowded, coastal enclave has been devastated in the war, which has destroyed homes, schools, mosques and hospitals. Most of the population has been displaced multiple times and aid groups say residents are on the verge of famine.

The UN has called reports about a possible expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza “deeply alarming” if true.

The military, which accuses Hamas of operating among civilians, has at times avoided areas where intelligence suggested hostages were held and former captives have said their captors threatened to kill them if Israeli forces approached.

Netanyahu, who favors an expansion of military operations, told Zamir that so far the military had failed to bring about the release of the hostages, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Diplomatic negotiations have secured the release of most hostages freed so far.

A fourth source said that the prime minister intended to expand military operations in Gaza to put pressure on Hamas.

Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X Wednesday that the military chief has both the right and the duty to voice his opinion, but said that the military would carry out the government’s decisions until all war objectives are achieved.

The prime minister’s office confirmed the meeting with Zamir on Tuesday but declined to comment further and the military did not respond to a request for comment.

The prime minister is scheduled to discuss military plans for Gaza with other ministers on Thursday.

Netanyahu, who in May said that Israel would control all of Gaza, leads the most right-wing coalition government in Israel’s history and some of his key partners have in the past threatened to quit if the government ended the war