The Israeli government‘s decision to approve a plan to occupy the Gaza Strip has reportedly deepened tensions between the government and the country’s military leadership(IDF). This move has exposed fresh fractures within the army’s senior ranks and strained relations with reservists summoned for what could become the most dangerous phase of the war.
According to Israeli media reports, a bruising week of leaks and public recriminations has laid bare the rift between Israel’s political leaders and its military high command. Professor Yagil Levy, the head of the Institute for the Study of Civil-Military Relations at the Open University of Israel, described the situation as “the most severe crisis in the history of relations between the political echelon and the military since the 1948 war.” Levy added that “never before has the political leadership compelled the military to execute an operation it adamantly opposed.”
In the seven days leading up to the pivotal meeting of Israel’s security cabinet, Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir repeatedly voiced his misgivings over the move to fully occupy the territory. Zamir warned that taking over Gaza would plunge Israel into a “black hole” of prolonged insurgency, humanitarian responsibility, and heightened risk to hostages. His dissent ignited a political storm, with the son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accusing the army’s chief of staff of mutiny. Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Zamir to “clearly state he will fully comply with the political leadership’s instructions, even if the decision is to occupy Gaza.” Some Israeli reports suggested Zamir could resign.
The military’s divisions run not only between the government and the IDF’s senior command but also within the army’s own upper echelons. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, one of Israel’s largest newspapers, the discontent also appears to be spreading to the rank and file. An increasing number of Israeli soldiers are refusing to return to Gaza, shaken by the heavy toll of Palestinian civilian deaths during the military offensive. A group of 41 officers and reservists wrote to Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and the head of the military last June, stating that the government was waging an “unnecessary, eternal war” in Gaza and announcing they would no longer participate in combat operations in the territory.
A clash between the military leadership and the government could have irreparable consequences for public support for the Israeli administration. Levy warned that a dispute between the army leadership and the government “could intensify public protest, fuelled both by concern for the hostages and by the fact that, until now, the military had provided legitimacy for continuing the war.”
The Israeli government’s decision comes amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where over 60,930 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities. The international community has urged Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and halt the war amid mounting Palestinian deaths due to malnutrition and Israeli attacks. Netanyahu has doubled down on his war goals, including eliminating Hamas and securing the release of the remaining captives.