Israeli military chief opposes Netanyahu’s push to seize all of Gaza

A deepening rift has emerged between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s military leadership, as Israel’s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir firmly opposed plans to seize the remaining parts of Gaza, according to three Israeli officials familiar with the matter.

During a tense, three-hour security meeting on Tuesday, Zamir warned Netanyahu that pushing further into Gaza could backfire, endangering the lives of Israeli hostages and trapping the IDF in a prolonged and costly military occupation — one reminiscent of the occupation Israel ended nearly 20 years ago.

Zamir reportedly cautioned that while Israel currently controls approximately 75% of Gaza, expanding operations to capture the rest could jeopardize hostages’ lives, increase international backlash, and commit Israel to a dangerous long-term entanglement in the strip.

He also pushed back against political calls to re-establish settlements or impose military rule, positions advocated by some members of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition.

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The IDF has consistently opposed such moves, maintaining that they would be strategically and diplomatically damaging.

In response, Netanyahu criticized the military's inability to secure the release of the remaining hostages, saying that most freed captives had been rescued through diplomatic negotiations, not military operations.

Despite these tensions, Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly defended the military’s right to voice its views, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that the chief of staff “has both the right and the duty” to advise the government.

However, he emphasized that the military will ultimately carry out the government’s decisions until all objectives are achieved.