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Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, stated on Wednesday that the military must follow any government decisions regarding the war in Gaza.
His comments come amid reports of a disagreement between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the army’s Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, over a potential full occupation of the Palestinian territory.
Netanyahu has said that a new phase of the war is necessary to “complete the defeat” of Hamas and secure the release of the remaining hostages.
Citing anonymous officials, the Israeli press has suggested that Netanyahu may be planning to order a full military occupation of Gaza.
According to reports from public broadcaster KAN, Zamir allegedly warned during a security meeting that a full occupation would be “walking into a trap” and instead proposed alternatives, such as encircling specific areas where Hamas is believed to be hiding.
Katz, however, publicly pushed back, stating on X that while the Chief of Staff has the right to express his opinion, “once decisions are made by the political echelon, the IDF will execute them with determination and professionalism… until the objectives of the war are achieved.”
Netanyahu is expected to convene the security cabinet on Thursday to finalise a decision on the potential expansion of the offensive. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump stated that any decision to occupy Gaza would be “up to Israel.”
Aid Truck Incident in Gaza Kills 22 Amid Famine Warnings
In the besieged Gaza Strip, an incident involving an overturned aid truck has killed at least 22 people. According to the civil defence agency, the truck flipped over onto a crowd of people waiting for food in the Nuseirat area.
Spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP that the Israeli army had forced the truck to use a “dangerous road” damaged by bombing.
The Hamas-run government in Gaza accused Israel of “deliberately obstructing the safe passage and distribution of the aid,” while the Israeli army said it was investigating the incident.
The UN continues to warn that Gaza’s 2.4 million people are on the verge of a catastrophic famine, as the humanitarian aid trickling in is considered insufficient.
