Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clashed with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir at a cabinet meeting Thursday night after the general appeared skeptical about a plan to move Gazan civilians to the south of the Strip and lay siege to its north, Hebrew media reported Friday.
According to quotes from the closed-door meeting reported by Channel 12 and Ynet, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich accused Zamir of not following orders and leading to a stalemate in Gaza.
Zamir was said to have responded: “You always say there is a stalemate in the Strip. There is no stalemate in the Strip — we’re doing exactly what you tasked us with. I suggest people watch what they say about us, supposedly not doing what we were tasked with. You certainly don’t need to be reminded that we have soldiers dying in battle.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly responded that the IDF needs to “work on a wide-scale evacuation plan of the population to the south of the Strip.”
Smotrich, who reportedly accused Zamir on Sunday of seeking to end the war by warning that it endangers the hostages, was said to have added: “And lay siege to the north [of Gaza]. That way we’ll topple Hamas in no time.”
“Do you want a military government [in Gaza]? Who will govern 2 million people?” Zamir asked, according to the unsourced reports.
Netanyahu was said to have yelled in response: “The IDF and the State of Israel. I don’t want a military government, but I want to move [Gazans] to a large civilian area. [I’m] not willing to leave Hamas behind in any way.”
Netanyahu reportedly said the alternative to the evacuation plan was to capture the entire Strip, including areas the IDF has not operated in until now for fear of harming the hostages.
“The alternative to evacuation to the south is to run over the whole Strip and capture all of it, and that means killing the hostages, which I don’t want and am not prepared to do,” he was quoted as saying.
Zamir reportedly replied that the evacuation plan could lead to a loss of control.
“We need to talk about this. We have not agreed to this. To control these people who are hungry and angry could lead to a loss of control and as a result of that loss of control they could turn on the IDF, ” said Zamir, according to Ynet and Channel 12.
Netanyahu reportedly dismissed Zamir’s concern, saying, “Prepare an evacuation plan — I want to see it when I return from Washington,” where he is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump on Monday. Trump is expected to announce a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas during the visit.
Netanyahu is set to return Thursday.
Zamir said last week that the IDF would soon “reach the lines” set for it by the government in the latest Gaza offensive, which began in May and sought to conquer 75% of the Strip.
Analysts said the announcement was meant to signal to the government the need to decide whether to move forward with a hostage-ceasefire deal or prepare for the IDF to establish military rule in the Strip.
On Friday, the military said it had attained operational control of roughly 65% of the enclave.
The military also said it eliminated more than 100 Hamas operatives over the past week, including senior commander Hakem al-Issa.
Since the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza, the Israeli Air Force has struck over 7,500 terror targets, including weapons sites, tunnels and rocket launchers, according to the IDF.
The military said its campaign will continue in pursuit of its war goals and the protection of Israeli civilians.
Netanyahu has publicly vowed to keep fighting until Hamas is vanquished, but is reportedly working with Trump on a plan that would end the war, re-commit Israel to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and normalize Israeli-Saudi and Israeli-Syrian relations.
Ben Gvir and Smotrich reject outright any Israeli withdrawal from Gaza or hint at Palestinian statehood.
On Wednesday, Hebrew media reported that Ben Gvir had reached out to Smotrich to form a united front in the government against the hostage-ceasefire deal being promoted by the White House. However, a spokesman for the finance minister denied any cooperation and accused Ben Gvir of playing a “game” with leaks to the media.