If further evidence was needed of the critical juncture Israel currently faces, recent clashes between Benjamin Netanyahu's government and the army's chief of the General Staff underscore tensions shaking the country all the way to the top of its military command. For about 10 days, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, chief of the armed forces, was the target of personal attacks, criticism and public questioning from members of the governing coalition. One of the main instigators was the defense minister himself, Israel Katz, a loyal ally of the Israeli prime minister.

The military escalation decided on by the Israeli government in the Gaza Strip, including the plan to gradually occupy the entire Palestinian enclave, has fractured the country since the security cabinet's announcement on Friday, August 8. The chief of the General Staff expressed his disagreement with this strategy both before and during the cabinet meeting, a stance deemed unacceptable by Netanyahu's supporters. "If that doesn't work for the chief of staff, he should resign," warned the prime minister's inner circle, according to Israeli media. Zamir shot back in a statement: "We will continue to express our positions without fear, in a substantive, independent and professional manner."

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