Military figure Eyal Zamir, contesting the proposed IDF plan to seize control of Gaza.
General Eyal Zamir, the current Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), has expressed reservations about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to occupy Gaza. According to reports, Zamir's concerns are rooted in the potential dangers to hostages held by Hamas and the current weakened state of the Israeli military due to ongoing conflicts.
Zamir, who was appointed as the IDF Chief of Staff in February, had initially planned to resign in November 2022 but reversed his decision following a request from Defense Minister Israel Katz. Before taking on this role, Zamir served as the military secretary to the prime minister and the head of the IDF's Southern Command.
The reasons for Zamir's preference over other candidates, such as General Amir Baram, Halevi's deputy, and General Tamir Yadai, head of the IDF's ground forces, are attributed to his extensive experience in managing security systems and national security challenges.
In a closed meeting today, Zamir warned against the consequences of a full-scale occupation of the Gaza Strip. He emphasized that such an operation could last months, exacerbating pressure on the regular army and reserves. Zamir proposed a more limited, partial military occupation instead of the full occupation Netanyahu is pushing for.
Other officials, including the head of Israel’s National Security Council, share Zamir's concerns. They have raised additional worries about the high risk to hostages during the operation and the strain on Israeli forces. These reservations come amid internal government debates over the Israeli operation in Gaza, with some ministers insisting on full military control despite the opposition from Zamir and intelligence heads like Mossad director David Barnea.
The plan to occupy Gaza, which General Eyal Zamir has expressed doubts about, remains unclear from the provided information. However, it is known that Zamir supports an approach based on encirclement and targeted raids from control positions to wear down Hamas.
Herzi Halevi, who was the IDF Chief of Staff prior to Zamir, took responsibility for the October 7 failure and left his position in January. The details of this failure are not provided in the given information.
[1] Source: Haaretz [2] Source: Ynet News
- General Eyal Zamir, cited in Haaretz, has expressed concerns about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to occupy Gaza, rooted in potential dangers to hostages held by Hamas and the current weakened state of the Israeli military.
- Zamir, as reported by Ynet News, has proposed a more limited, partial military occupation instead of the full occupation Netanyahu is pushing for, citing the potential exacerbation of pressure on the regular army and reserves if a full-scale operation were to last months.
