FLASH
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Two ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government have sharply attacked the Israeli army's Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, with one of them openly calling on Netanyahu to dismiss him.
The clash between political and military leadership is deepening as Israel debates the next steps in its offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
In recent days, ministers have clashed publicly with Zamir over several key issues, from Netanyahu's plan to take control of Gaza, which the generals see as a threat to the Israeli army and the hostages still in the hands of Hamas, to new military appointments.
Today, August 13, the attacks on Zamir intensified, when National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Netanyahu to fire him if he does not "immediately announce the replacement of his left-wing advisors."
"When you see who the people are around the Chief of Staff, you understand why he is opposing our plan to invade Gaza," Ben-Gvir declared.
This is the latest sign of a deep rift between the Israeli government and military, as decisions are being made about the future of the conflict, which has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, generated a humanitarian catastrophe and sparked strong international criticism.
The clash has also involved military appointments. Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Zamir of proposing promotions without following procedures, causing "unnecessary damage."
All these tensions erupted last week, when Netanyahu ordered the army to "prepare" for a total invasion of Gaza, while the generals insisted on a more limited operation, warning that the plan would exhaust the army's capabilities and endanger the 50 remaining hostages in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu and Zamir's allies have launched a "cold war" in the media, to the point where the prime minister's son accused the Chief of Staff of "attempted coup."
Zamir stated today that he has approved the main plan for the next steps in Gaza, but the disagreements have deepened the divisions that have been brewing since the October 7, 2023 attack, when Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.
Many military leaders have resigned over the failures that led to that attack, the worst loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. Netanyahu, on the other hand, has refused to take personal responsibility and has repeatedly blocked calls for a public inquiry into the disaster.
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