Tel Aviv ( The COW News Digital) heated confrontation reportedly erupted between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (identified in reports as Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir) during a high-level closed-door meeting to discuss future military strategy in Gaza.
According to Israeli Channel 12, the argument took place late last night during a security cabinet session, where Netanyahu instructed the military to prepare a plan for the forced relocation of a large portion of Gaza’s population to the southern part of the enclave. The directive was met with sharp resistance from the army chief.
“Do you want military rule there?” Lt. Gen. Zamir reportedly asked. “Who will govern two million people?”
Netanyahu, visibly angered, is said to have shouted back, “Our army and the State of Israel.” He continued, “I don’t want military rule, but I will not, under any circumstance, leave Hamas in control. I cannot accept that.”
The prime minister argued that if Palestinians are not relocated to southern Gaza, Israel would have no choice but to take full control of the entire strip, including areas where hostage risks have previously prevented full-scale operations. He emphasized that such a move could endanger the lives of Israeli captives still believed to be held by Hamas.
General Zamir strongly cautioned against the proposal, warning that the situation could spiral out of control. “We need to discuss this further. There is no consensus,” he said. “If we attempt to control hungry, angry civilians, we may lose control entirely—they could rise up against our forces.”
Despite the military chief’s concerns, Netanyahu stood firm, ordering that an evacuation plan be drafted and presented to him upon his return from an upcoming U.S. visit.
The internal dispute reveals deepening rifts between Israel’s political and military leadership over Gaza strategy. Some Israeli ministers have previously accused the army chief of advising restraint or suggesting potential withdrawal—positions viewed as unrealistic by hardliners in Netanyahu’s government.
The growing divide underscores the complexity of Israel’s campaign in Gaza and the challenges of balancing military objectives with humanitarian and political fallout.
