Netanyahu’s Gaza Takeover Plan Blocked by Israeli Military Chief

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced resistance from IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir during a tense three-hour meeting on August 6, 2025, over plans to seize the remaining 25% of Gaza not yet under Israeli control. Zamir warned that a full occupation could trap the military in the territory, from which Israel withdrew in 2005, and endanger the 50 remaining hostages, at least 20 believed to be alive, held by Hamas. The Israeli military already controls 75% of Gaza following nearly two years of war sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.

Netanyahu, leading Israel’s most right-wing coalition, argued that expanding operations would pressure Hamas, which has rejected ceasefire talks without a permanent end to the war. He told Zamir the military had failed to secure the hostages’ release through diplomacy, though most freed hostages were released via negotiations. Defense Minister Israel Katz, while defending Zamir’s right to object, stated on X that the military would implement government decisions to achieve war objectives, including defeating Hamas and ensuring Gaza poses no threat. Netanyahu’s office confirmed the meeting but declined further comment, with a broader cabinet discussion set for August 7, 2025.

The war has devastated Gaza, displacing most of its 2 million residents and killing over 61,000, mostly civilians, per Gaza’s health ministry. Recent Hamas videos showing emaciated hostages intensified global outrage, with 200 Palestinians, half children, reported dead from starvation since the conflict began, including 20 on August 6 when a food truck overturned. The UN called reports of expanded operations “deeply alarming,” amid warnings of worsening famine. Tamer Al-Burai, a displaced Palestinian in Deir Al-Balah said, “Where will we go? We want an end to this war, it is enough.”