"Israel" army chief defies leadership, opposes Gaza escalation
According to the Hebrew daily Haaretz, Zamir told the General Staff during a situation assessment: "We are not dealing with theories, but with life-and-death issues. We will continue to act with responsibility and integrity, with only the state's security and interests in mind."
His statements come amid escalating tensions between the military leadership and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Zamir warned ministers that expanding the war would endanger the lives of the remaining captives held in Gaza.
He cautioned that a wide-scale military operation could prompt captors to abandon or neglect both the living captives and the bodies of those already killed, potentially leading to the permanent loss of some captives.
Beyond the threat to the captives, Zamir and the military leadership outlined other heavy costs of expanding the fighting:
Troop exhaustion: Regular and reserve soldiers are already severely fatigued after months of combat.
Equipment depletion: Military vehicles and gear have undergone significant wear.
Reserve system strain: A full-scale occupation of Gaza would require calling up large numbers of reservists for extended service, despite record-low response rates to recent mobilization calls since October 7.
Just two days ago, Zamir presented Netanyahu with plans for a gradual expansion of operations, again stressing that a full occupation would greatly endanger the captives.
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