According to a report by the CNN on Tuesday 2 September, 2025, tensions at the highest levels of Israel’s leadership are intensifying, as disagreements between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s top military command come into sharper focus. According to Israeli officials, the army’s chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, has openly challenged Netanyahu’s push to expand the war into Gaza City – an operation the government appears determined to pursue despite mounting concerns.

In recent days, tens of thousands of reservists have been called back into service to prepare for what could be one of the largest offensives since the war began nearly two years ago. Yet inside the closed doors of the security cabinet, Zamir has repeatedly raised alarms. Officials familiar with the discussions say he questioned not only the military risks to Israeli troops, but also the potential consequences for the roughly 48 hostages still believed to be in Gaza. Beyond that, he warned of the humanitarian toll, with as many as a million Palestinians likely to be uprooted if the offensive goes forward.

During a heated cabinet session on Sunday night, Zamir once again pressed his case. He urged ministers to take seriously the latest ceasefire framework, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, which Hamas has reportedly accepted. “There is a framework on the table, and we should take it,” he told them, according to officials briefed on the meeting.

Netanyahu, however, refused to place the proposal on the agenda. Instead, he dismissed it, drawing on language attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump: “Forget the partial deals… Go in with full force and finish this,” he was quoted as saying. For Netanyahu, the only acceptable outcome remains a comprehensive agreement that secures the release of all Israeli hostages at once.

The prime minister’s stance has left Zamir increasingly isolated. While a handful of ministers – some even from Netanyahu’s own Likud party – have expressed sympathy with his position, the far-right members of the coalition have attacked him, accusing the general of timidity and of blocking victory over Hamas.

What worries Zamir most, sources say, is where this path leads. In comments later leaked to the Israeli press, he warned that seizing Gaza City would inevitably drag Israel into a full-scale occupation of the territory. “You need to understand that your decision to conquer Gaza City means that you are going to a full military administration – the only one who will bear responsibility for the local population will be the IDF,” he reportedly told the ministers.

Neither the IDF spokesperson nor the prime minister’s office offered comment when approached by CNN.