IDF Chief Approves Major Gaza Operation Amid Netanyahu Tensions

Israel’s military is moving forward with plans for an expanded operation in the Gaza Strip after IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir approved the central operational concept this Wednesday. The approval follows weeks of high-level discussions and comes amid mounting tensions between Zamir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the scope and timing of the offensive.

The decision was reached during a meeting attended by senior IDF commanders, including Southern Command chief Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Assur, Military Intelligence director Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder, Operations Directorate chief Maj.-Gen. Itzik Cohen, and Israel Air Force commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar, as well as representatives from the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).

During the session, the operational plan for Gaza City was presented and approved, with a focus on securing hostages held by Hamas, dismantling the group’s infrastructure, and ensuring the safety of IDF soldiers. Security sources indicate that Southern Command’s planning, operations, and intelligence branches have been preparing population movement strategies from Gaza City toward the Mawasi region, while mapping ways to secure the area during urban combat.

Hamas, anticipating a large-scale IDF operation, has reportedly reinforced both above-ground and underground positions, including lookout posts, rocket launchers, machine guns, tunnels, and ambush sites. As the offensive moves deeper into Gaza’s neighborhoods, militants are expected to launch rockets from refurbished positions constructed over the past year.

Eyal Zamir (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Tensions Between Military and Political Leadership

Disagreements between Zamir and Netanyahu have intensified in recent weeks. While Netanyahu has insisted that hostages will only be freed through heightened military pressure, Zamir has warned that relying solely on force risks troop fatigue and strategic overextension.

“We need to change the approach taken so far; only then will we be able to free the hostages,” Netanyahu said. Zamir cautioned that a purely military strategy could become a strategic trap.

Speaking Monday, Zamir stressed, “We are at the start of a new stage in the fighting in Gaza. We will do everything to protect the hostages and bring them home.”

Following Wednesday’s approval, the IDF will brief Defense Minister Israel Katz on the central operational ideas for Gaza City. Once Katz signs off, forces will be notified and deployment will begin, including the mobilization of several reserve units.