Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is reportedly preparing to seek full cabinet approval for a sweeping plan to completely occupy the Gaza Strip.
According to multiple Hebrew media outlets, Netanyahu told ministers this week that “the die is cast” and vowed to push ahead with a total military takeover of Gaza — even in areas where hostages are believed to be held. The move would override the objections of top defense officials, including IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who reportedly warned that such a campaign could take years and jeopardize the lives of hostages still held by Hamas.
A senior source close to the prime minister was quoted saying, “If the chief of staff doesn’t agree, he should resign.”
The IDF currently controls about 75% of Gaza. Full occupation would mean reentering densely populated areas and establishing a long-term military presence — a step the army views as untenable without endangering both Israeli soldiers and civilians.
The proposed plan has sparked a bitter divide within Israel’s war cabinet. Hardline ministers and officials, including Itamar Ben Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, and Ron Dermer, support the move, while security chiefs — including Mossad head David Barnea, Shin Bet officials, and Zamir himself — have urged continued negotiations and hostage talks.
Netanyahu’s reported stance marks a notable shift, aligning more closely with far-right coalition demands and risking further alienation from military leadership. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar have reportedly not committed to either side.
Zamir canceled a planned U.S. trip this week amid the deepening rift. An IDF source cited the ongoing hostage crisis and lack of ceasefire as reasons for the decision, signaling the intensity of internal disagreement.
Meanwhile, both Israel and the U.S. are said to be pivoting away from interim hostage deals toward a broader ceasefire framework that includes total Hamas disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff told hostage families Saturday there would be “no more partial deals,” saying that any future negotiations would seek the release of all hostages and an end to the war.
Still, the likelihood of Hamas agreeing to such terms appears slim. A senior Israeli source told Haaretz last week that there is “little chance” the group will accept Israel’s ultimatum.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
4 Responses
Let’s see… The heads of both your military and your intelligence apparatus agree this is a bad idea but your politicians think it’s a good idea. Sounds to me like this is going to put a lot of Jews at risk in exchange for short term political wins for a few government officials.
” risking further alienation from military leadership”!
What is this military leadership? The military is supposed to be an arm of the government, not another government in competition with the elected government. We are left with no choice but to go in and get the hostages, with G-d’s help, as much as we can save before their time runs out. Whether you agree or not, Zamir is not an elected official and his personal opinion is not what runs the country.
I wonder what happened to the comment I posted several hours ago, it’s not pending or showing up. Here is the gist of it…
The heads of both the IDF and the intelligence apparatus believe a full takeover of Gaza is a bad idea, but the politicians want to do it anyway. Sounds like this is a selfish move to score political points domestically at the expense of Jewish safety and security around the world.
רשע בן רשע שם רשעים ירקב Blood ro Bibi os water. He doesnt give a sh.. about Jewish boood as he doesn’t care about Arab blood. He shld be ousted and brought to the world court as his comrades, the Nazis were