Israel’s top general has warned that the country will be falling into a strategic trap that endangers the lives of hostages if it pushes ahead with plans to occupy the entire Gaza Strip.
Israel’s cabinet is expected to convene on Thursday to approve such a move, despite the opposition of the top military echelon.
A senior official close to Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu was quoted as saying this week: “The die is cast – we are going for a full occupation of the Gaza Strip. There will be operations even in areas where hostages are being held. If the chief of staff doesn’t agree, he should resign.”
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff Lieut Gen Eyal Zamir was personally appointed by Netanyahu five months ago, as part of the policy to replace generals connected to the debacle of the October 7th 2023 Hamas attack. He was chosen, partly to appease Netanyahu’s right-wing base, as an “aggressive” general who could defeat Hamas.
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But, with the IDF already controlling some 75 per cent of the coastal enclave and following the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire talks, Zamir has made clear his opposition to a manoeuvre to conquer the entire territory. Instead, he presented a plan to seal off Gaza city, the central refugee camps and the Muwassi humanitarian zone in the south, enabling Israeli forces to carry out what the plan called pinpoint raids against remaining Hamas militants.
But Netanyahu rejected the plan, opting for a full-scale assault despite the dangers, and issuing a statement saying the army was “ready to implement any decision the security cabinet makes”.
In August 2024 Hamas gunmen murdered six hostages being held in a tunnel in Rafah when they believed IDF troops were approaching. The IDF is concerned that the remaining 20 hostages believed to be alive will be in danger if it advances into areas where the hostages are held. Militants guarding the bodies of 30 deceased hostages may also flee or be killed, raising the possibility that the bodies will be lost forever.
Zamir is also worried by the possibility of high IDF casualties and about burnout among combat soldiers after 22 months of fighting, particularly among reservists who have served hundreds of days in uniform since the start of the war. An escalation of the war will likely require a substantial call-up of additional reservists, while Netanyahu’s government is working to ensure that ultra-Orthodox Jews do not have to enlist.
According to some analysts, Zamir will be forced to resign if the cabinet approves an occupation of all Gaza, causing further division in Israeli society, with polls showing more than 60 per cent of people support a ceasefire to end the war.
