The Israeli military chief warned against the full acquisition of Gaza, according to three Israeli sources familiar with the debate, as he believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ordering “conquest” of the besieged territory.
At a meeting with top officials on Tuesday evening, Israeli Defence Force (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned that a complete conquest of Gaza would lock up troops within the enclave and put the remaining hostages in danger, sources said.
Such a move will increase the burden on Israeli forces when the troops are already struggling with rates of attrition and burnout among the reserve forces, Zamir said.
According to two sources, Zamir’s plan called for the city of Gaza and other areas where hostages could be held while Netanyahu was pushing for a more disturbing operation into the region’s centre.
Netanyahu urged a security cabinet meeting on Thursday to support a full “strip conquest,” CNN previously reported.
The latest differences underscore the growing discrepancy between Israeli military leaders and their political hierarchies. While Israeli forces recommend pursuing diplomacy to end the war, Netanyahu and his government are seeking the biggest war goal.
Israeli forces have already controlled about 75% of Gaza after nearly two years of war, saying that the majority of the territory has left in abolished, causing a humanitarian crisis. Israel withdrew from Gaza 20 years ago, but Zamir warned that a full military occupation could tempt the IDF anew.
Zamir’s warnings opposed the far-right party of Israel’s government and once again the new military chief. They have repeatedly called for Israeli bombings and Gaza attacks to destroy Hamas.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gwil demanded on social media that Zamir has publicly stated “even if decisions are made regarding conquest and decisive actions,” “in his own voice,” and “in his own voice.”
After Tuesday’s meeting, the Prime Minister’s Office issued an official statement saying, “The IDF is ready to implement the decisions made by the Security Cabinet.”
On Wednesday, Netanyahu met with Yair Lapid, the opposing leader of Israel. He later issued a video statement calling the conquest of Gaza “a very bad idea.”
“You won’t be in that kind of move unless most of the country is behind you,” Rapid said. The people of Israel are not interested in this war – we will pay a price for it too. ”
Polls have repeatedly shown that the majority of Israelis support the end of the war in exchange for the release of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry reported the highest death toll in weeks on Wednesday, with 138 people dead in the last 24 hours.
Five people have died of hunger in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Wednesday that it has brought about the total number of people who have died of hunger and malnutrition to 193 people, including 96 children.
Cogat, an Israeli agency responsible for bringing aid to Gaza, added that nearly 300 trucks entered Gaza and were collected and distributed by the United Nations and international organisations on Tuesday, with 110 aid being administered air in cooperation with the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Germany, Germany, Canada and Canada.
However, Hamas Control’s media office said only 84 trucks entered the enclave on Tuesday, adding that the strip requires at least 600 bailouts and fuel trucks to meet the basic needs of the population.
