Netanyahu plans to occupy the Gaza strip. “If the head of the army does not agree, you should resign”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday a meeting of the security office with the intention of “total occupation of the Gaza strip”, as a high official informed in a meeting with the Israeli press, information confirmed for EFS of sources within the Prime Minister's Office.

“The Prime Minister will convene tomorrow a security debate on the continuation of the fights and their expansion in areas where they are afraid that they could be hostages. The security forces oppose maneuvers in the places where hostages for the fear of damaging them,” informs on a statement to which EFE had access, writes Agerpres.

“The fate is sealed: we will completely occupy the Gaza Strip,” said Prime Minister Netanyahu spokesman during the meeting with the Israeli press, according to the reports of Yediot Ahronoth.

“There will be operations including in the areas where hostages are. If the chief of the General Staff does not agree, he should resign,” he said, referring to the head of the army, Eyal Zamir, given the opposition of the Israeli security apparatus to this measure.

Sources close to the Government have stated for the EFE that the meeting of the security office -consisting of members of the government with relevant portfolios and other senior security officials -, which will decide the offensive course in the Gaza strip, scheduled for Tuesday, has not yet took place.

On the other hand, already on Monday afternoon, before the announcement of the meeting, the local press announced that the chief of the General Staff, Eyal Zamir, canceled his visit to the United States.

The announcement of the Israeli army

After the leader's intentions were revealed, the army responded with a statement announcing the cancellation of the service, so far in force, for regular terrestrial troops since 2025.

“It has been decided to offer the soldiers a bit of space to breathe,” the statement said, “in the light of intense struggles from different sectors of the armed forces of the last two years.”

“The decisions were taken by the chief of the General Staff, worried about the quality of the combat service and the strengthening of their rights, considering their contribution to the defense forces of Israel and the State of Israel,” the statement said.

According to the newspaper The Times of Israel, the opposition of the armed forces is based on the concern that the Palestinian militias in the Gaza strip will execute the hostages in front of the troop advance (as it happened at the end of August 2024 with six prisoners, found on September 1). Also, the Israeli army believes that the destruction of the Hamas structure could take years.