Israel’s push into Gaza City isn’t just splitting public opinion; it’s revealing deep cracks between the military command and the government during a critical national emergency.
Recently, top military and security figures have openly clashed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding three key strategies: the decision to invade Gaza City, the main urban hub of the enclave; the controversial strikes against senior Hamas officials in Qatar; and his handling of peace talks aimed at ending the conflict.
Netanyahu’s unyielding approach on these matters has not only left him more isolated on the global stage but has also intensified domestic debates about Israel’s future direction. His choices have strained crucial strategic relationships with Arab nations, despite former President Trump’s desire for expansion, and have drawn strong condemnation and even sanctions from some long-standing allies.
“We find ourselves in a truly unique and unprecedented period where critical national security decisions are largely controlled by a single individual,” observed Yohanan Plesner, president of the nonpartisan Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem.
“Traditionally, major decisions were made through consensus between the political and military-security leadership,” Plesner, a former lawmaker, explained. “That long-held principle has been broken. The chief of staff is now compelled to lead soldiers into a conflict he doesn’t fully endorse.”
An image shows a large cloud of smoke rising from a landscape of destroyed buildings, depicting an explosion in Gaza on Wednesday, seen from across the border in Israel.
Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, the military chief of staff, recently resisted the government’s directive to seize Gaza City, a place Israeli leaders call a final stronghold for Hamas. Despite his objections, Israel proceeded with a ground invasion this week, even with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians still residing there.
Security officials, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, revealed that General Zamir worried about the fatigue of reserve soldiers after nearly two years of fighting in Gaza. He also cautioned that the military might be left solely responsible for governing Gaza’s two million Palestinians.
Furthermore, there are serious concerns that the assault on Gaza City could put the lives of any remaining hostages at grave risk.
Just months ago, Netanyahu appointed General Zamir, praising his “aggressive approach” at the time.
However, the Prime Minister has since initiated perilous military actions in both Gaza and Qatar, disregarding the advice of some of his most senior military and security leaders.
General Zamir and David Barnea, the head of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, both disagreed with the timing of the strike in Qatar. This nation has been a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks and is a close American ally. According to three anonymous sources privy to the internal debates, they believed it would have been better to allow ceasefire negotiations to proceed naturally.
An image depicts residents of Gaza City leaving their homes and fleeing south on Tuesday.
An image presents the Israeli military’s chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, in Jerusalem in March.
An image displays David Barnea, chief of the Mossad spy agency, in Tel Aviv in 2023.
Netanyahu recently altered his approach to truce discussions. Initially favoring a gradual resolution, beginning with a temporary ceasefire and partial hostage release, he now demands a comprehensive deal to free all remaining hostages simultaneously and conclude the war on Israel’s terms. This more ambitious stance is proving much harder to achieve, with Hamas consistently rejecting these new conditions.
This abrupt policy change was also met with opposition from General Zamir, Mr. Barnea, and Tzachi Hanegbi, Netanyahu’s national security adviser, according to anonymous sources close to the sensitive discussions. These officials believed the original phased deal, which Hamas had largely agreed to, should have been pursued.
Under Israel’s democratic framework, military and security leaders are legally obligated to follow government directives or step down. General Zamir, for now, has opted to remain in his position.
In a televised address on Tuesday, General Zamir stated that the Gaza City offensive aimed for a decisive victory against Hamas. Simultaneously, he stressed the critical importance of rescuing the hostages, calling it a paramount war objective and a “national and moral obligation.”
An image shows Israeli forces near the border with Gaza on Wednesday. There are concerns that the assault on Gaza City could endanger the lives of hostages held there.
Idit Shafran Gittleman, a military-civil relations expert at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, noted General Zamir’s evident concerns regarding the Gaza City operation. She highlighted that while disagreements between politicians and generals are common, this current rift appears to be a deeper moral conflict: whether to prioritize defeating Hamas or the safe return of hostages.
“The gravity of this situation, with thousands of soldiers deployed into battle, cannot be overstated,” she warned.
Many Israelis are skeptical about the government’s declared aim of eradicating Hamas, questioning what the Gaza City operation can achieve that almost two years of continuous conflict has not.
Public surveys indicate that most Israelis favor a negotiated settlement: the release of remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a cessation of hostilities.
Netanyahu’s critics argue he has deliberately extended the war to maintain his political power, appeasing his far-right coalition partners. This prolonged conflict also conveniently postpones a public reckoning over the severe government and intelligence failures that preceded the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
An image portrays Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Critics of him say that he has prolonged the war to keep himself in power.
The operation in Gaza City is projected to exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation in the coastal enclave. Health officials there report approximately 65,000 Palestinian casualties, without distinguishing between combatants and civilians. Israeli authorities confirmed about 1,200 fatalities in Israel from the October 2023 Hamas-led attack, with roughly 250 individuals taken hostage.
While two short truces saw the release of dozens of captives, Israel estimates that around 20 hostages remain alive in Gaza, alongside the remains of up to 28 others.
As of Tuesday evening, over 350,000 people had evacuated Gaza City, according to the Israeli military. However, an estimated half a million individuals are believed to still be in the heavily bombarded city.
Plesner and other analysts suggest that Netanyahu’s far-right government operates without the traditional checks that have guided Israeli decision-making for decades, particularly the principle of consensus.
Historically, the defense minister was a politically influential figure, often wielding personal discretion and effective veto power over controversial military operations.
The current defense minister, Israel Katz, was appointed by Netanyahu last year following the dismissal of his predecessor, Yoav Gallant, due to policy clashes. Katz is widely regarded as a Netanyahu loyalist and has consistently vowed to unleash “hell” on Hamas if the Palestinian militant group fails to release hostages and surrender.
An image illustrates a camp for displaced people in Al-Mawasi, near Khan Younis, Gaza, on Wednesday. The Gaza City operation is expected to worsen an already acute humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Netanyahu encounters minimal resistance from his coalition partners, who are generally more hard-line, or from within his own party. Coupled with robust support from the Trump administration, other international actors seemingly possess limited influence over his policies.
Netanyahu has been formally accused of war crimes, including the starvation of Gaza, by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and of overseeing a genocide. The Israeli government vehemently denies these accusations, which observers believe have only made Netanyahu more withdrawn and resolute.