Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s designated Shin Bet chief has reportedly expressed opposition to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, sparking outrage among families of Hamas-held captives.

Channel 12 reported Friday night that Maj. Gen. David Zini, whose appointment Netanyahu announced Thursday in defiance of the attorney general, has said to colleagues in the military: “I’m against hostage deals. This is an eternal war.” The network also reported that Netanyahu selected Zini after a brief, impromptu conversation that went behind the back of IDF chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.

It was unclear from the report when in the war Zini made the comment, whether he had since repeated it, or if the remarks were quoted verbatim. The report said he had made the statement in “in closed sessions of the IDF General Staff,” but did not provide a time frame for those sessions. The report also said Zini’s comment had “echoed in the room already then,” suggesting the quote was from a single meeting.

Sources cited by Channel 12 said that while Zini’s comment, while striking, carried only minor weight,as the Gaza truce-hostage talks bore little relevance to his role as head of IDF Training Command and General Staff Corps . As Shin Bet chief, however, Zini would be heavily involved in negotiations and in deliberating whether to make a deal, the sources said.

The IDF spokesperson declined to comment on the report, saying it would not address things said in meetings of the General Staff. Zini, a member of the observant national religious community, is unlikely to comment on the report until after the Jewish Sabbath ends Saturday night.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum wrote on X that families were “outraged” by Zini’s reported comment. “If the report is correct, then these are horrifying and contemptible words coming from someone who is set to determine the fate of the hostages,” the forum said.

Using a Hebrew pun to make Zini’s name profane, Natali Zangauker, sister of hostage Matan Zangauker, said she is “ashamed” of the general’s words.

“I’m not counting on you to bring back my brother and the rest of the hostages,” she wrote. “Not counting on you to protect the lives of our soldiers who are going in to secure conditions for the blood prime minister to make a deal and end the war.”

Netanyahu announced Zini’s appointment on Thursday, a day after the High Court ruled that the premier could not fire Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who has in any case announced he would resign next month over his failure to prevent the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023.

The High Court had found that Netanyahu, who brought Bar’s ouster to a government vote in March amid public backlash, had acted in conflict of interest, given the ongoing Shin Bet probe of the alleged ties between the premier’s top aides and Hamas-backer Qatar.

On Friday, Netanyahu’s office said Zini would not handle matters related to the Qatar investigation. Meanwhile, Zini was on Friday relieved of his post, with the military saying in the afternoon that he had agreed to resign after an earlier statement indicated Zamier had ousted Zini.

According to Channel 12, Netanyahu held just one brief conversation with Zini before appointing him to be the next Shin Bet chief. The conversation was said to have taken place on May 8, during a visit Netanyahu made to the Tzeelim military base where an IDF exercise was taking place.

At the end of the drill, Netanyahu reportedly pulled Zini aside for a brief walk during which they discussed the issue of Haredi enlistment, since Zini is one of the IDF’s point people on the issue.

Netanyahu then told Zini to come inside his car, where they chatted for five minutes before the premier asked how the general would feel about becoming Shin Bet chief, Channel 12 said.

Zini responded that he’d prefer remaining a major general in the army but that if Netanyahu was going to insist, he’d agree to head the Shin Bet, according to the network.

That night, Zini updated Zamir’s aide that he had had a conversation with Netanyahu, without elaborating on what was said, the network reported. Zini reportedly called Zamir three days later, and noted that Netanyahu during the conversation brought up the idea of him serving as Shin Bet chief. However, Zini did not lead Zamir to think that it was a serious offer, according to Channel 12.

Still, Zamir criticized Zini for speaking with the political leadership without authorization, as is required.

Almost two weeks passed, and Zamir received a call from Netanyahu Thursday evening during which the premier informed him that he had decided to appoint him as the next Shin Bet chief.

Zamir expressed his concern about Zini’s qualifications, given that he does not come from the Shin Bet or intelligence community, and also about how the appointment was made, Channel 12 reported.

Zamir then called Zini and raised those concerns directly as well. The two agreed to meet Friday morning, when Zamir told Zini he would not be able to remain in the IDF as long as the appointment stands, while leaving open the door to a return if it does not move forward.

Channel 12 said Zini told Zamir that he did not have any other conversations with Netanyahu about being appointed Shin Bet chief other than the brief discussion in the premier’s car.

Zini is slated to replace current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar next month, unless the High Court of Justice intervenes.

Also Friday, National Unity MK and former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot urged Zini to turn down the appointment.

In an open letter to Zini, Eisenkot said he was put in a similar situation in 2011 when Netanyahu offered him to become the next IDF chief. Eisenkot turned the premier down because he wasn’t a deputy chief of staff at the time and that he wanted to wait until he was more senior. Eisenkot was appointed to the position in 2015.

Eisenkot went on to sharply criticize Netanyahu’s prosecution of the war in Gaza, saying that he has undermined the war aim of returning the hostages and undermining the achievements made on the battlefield at a very heavy price “by waging a continuous, unfocused war, with outdated goals.”

“Zini, I commanded you for most of your military service. I appreciate your operational capabilities and your courage,” Eisenkot wrote. “I know that you have the wisdom to choose the right thing to do,” Eisenkot adds.

Eisenkot called on Zini do what’s right “for the State of Israel, even at a personal cost” and suggested that he “inform the prime minister that the right thing to do at this time is to wait for the attorney general’s interpretation of the High Court ruling and then allow the selection of a more experienced candidate for wartime.”

According to Eisenkot, the appointment of the head of the Shin Bet should be done “in a manner that creates broad national consensus,” especially during this period of war, one of the “longest and most difficult in Israel’s history.”