Zamir warns Netanyahu: Storming Gaza City could put the lives of Israeli hostages in Gaza at great risk
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that “occupying Gaza City could pose a grave threat to the lives of the detainees”.
Zamir called on Netanyahu to accept the currently proposed prisoner exchange deal, which Hamas has already accepted.
This comes amid mounting pressure from the families of Israeli prisoners to pursue a deal that would secure their release.
Netanyahu ordered immediate negotiations on Thursday to secure their release, while proceeding with the plan to occupy the remaining Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu’s statement demonstrates his desire for a deal with new terms, at a time when mediators are awaiting his official response to a US proposal recently approved by Hamas, which largely matches what Israel previously agreed to.
Zamir said during a visit to the naval base in Haifa: “There is a deal on the table, and it must be taken now”.
He added, “The army has provided the conditions for its completion, and the decision is now in Netanyahu’s hands”.
Despite having previously opposed the plan to occupy Gaza more than once, fearing for his soldiers, Zamir said that “the army is capable of occupying Gaza, but the operation could pose a grave threat to the lives of the detainees”.
The families of hostages in Gaza welcomed Zamir’s remarks, saying in a statement: “The Chief of Staff reflects the demand of the majority of the Israeli people for a comprehensive agreement that would return 50 hostages and end the war”.
Israel estimates that Hamas holds 50 hostages, including 20 still alive, while it holds more than 10,800 Palestinians in its prisons, amid human rights allegations of torture and medical neglect.
This call coincided with ongoing military preparations for an invasion of Gaza.
The Israeli army announced on Saturday the death of an officer from the Kfir Brigade in an operational incident in Khan Yunis, bringing the army’s death toll since October 7, 2023, to 899, according to IDF official records.
Contrary to the announced figures, the Israeli army is accused of concealing the true number of its casualties, particularly given the numerous announcements by Palestinian factions that they carried out operations and ambushes against its personnel, which they claim resulted in deaths and injuries.
On Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had approved the army’s plans to occupy Gaza, vowing to use heavy fire and displace Palestinians, and threatening to turn the city into a similar fate to Rafah (south) and Beit Hanoun (north), referring to areas that have suffered widespread destruction in recent months.
According to the private Israeli Channel 12, the proposal currently under discussion includes the redeployment of Israeli forces near the border to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid, and a temporary ceasefire for 60 days, during which the exchange would be implemented in two stages: the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners, along with discussions on permanent ceasefire arrangements from day one.
Despite this, Tel Aviv is proceeding with a military plan to occupy the remaining Gaza Strip.
This plan begins with Gaza City, where the population of approximately one million is displaced, before encircling it and carrying out incursions into neighborhoods, followed by a push into the refugee camps in the center of the Strip.
