IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir on Wednesday approved the central concept and plans for the IDF’s expanded offensive in the Gaza Strip, the military said.
The discussion held by Zamir also included Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) officials and other senior defense officials.
A plan for further steps to be taken in the Gaza Strip was also presented and approved. On Thursday, Zamir and other IDF commanders will present the central ideas for the occupation of Gaza City to Defense Minister Israel Katz. Upon that approval, forces will be notified and deployed to Gaza, and a number of reserve units will be called up.
Zamir had attended a discussion on the possibility of a full takeover of the Gaza Strip last week. On Friday, Zamir convened several senior officials, including Southern Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asor, Military Intelligence Director Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder, Operations Directorate Chief Maj.-Gen. Itzik Cohen, and Israel Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar.
During this meeting, Zamir presented the main operational vision, focusing on the conditions to bring back the remaining hostages and dismantle Hamas’s rule while ensuring the security of IDF soldiers.
Security sources told Walla that the main task of planning the operation was assigned to the planning, operations, and intelligence branches of Southern Command. They have been working on population movement strategies from Gaza City southward to the al-Mawasi region, as well as strategies to secure the area.
It is believed that Hamas has prepared for the large-scale IDF operation, including infrastructure both above and below ground, with lookout posts, firing positions, machine guns, explosives, tunnels, and ambush plans.
As the operations move closer to the heart of these neighborhoods, Hamas is likely to launch rockets, with some of these sites used as launching positions that Hamas refurbished in the past year.
Tensions had risen between Zamir and Netanyahu over Gaza plans
During the meeting, tensions flared between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Zamir. Netanyahu has previously said that the hostages would only be freed after increasing military pressure on Hamas. However, Zamir has expressed concern about troop fatigue after the nearly two-year war in Gaza, as well as the extent of the IDF’s ability to free the hostages solely through military pressure.
The prime minister stated, “We need to change the approach taken so far; only then will we be able to free the hostages.” Zamir warned that it could become a strategic trap.
On Monday, the chief of staff said, “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.”
Amichai Stein and Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.