Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has warned that Israel\u2019s plan to occupy Gaza would endanger the lives of hostages, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to sign the ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar. Zamir\u2019s call has received support from the families of Israeli hostages.<\/p>\n
According to Channel 13, Zamir conveyed his message to Netanyahu during a visit to the naval base in Haifa, stressing that the deal on the table must be accepted. He argued that the Israeli military had already created the necessary conditions for such an agreement.<\/p>\n
Zamir reportedly said, \u201cThere is a deal on the table. This is an updated draft of the proposal presented by Steve Witkoff (US President Donald Trump\u2019s Middle East envoy). It should be accepted. The Israeli army has created the conditions for a prisoner exchange deal. Now it is in Netanyahu\u2019s hands. During the occupation of Gaza City, hostages\u2019 lives will be at great risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
Support from hostage families<\/strong><\/p>\n The families of Israeli hostages echoed Zamir\u2019s concerns, emphasizing that the occupation of Gaza would jeopardize the lives of their loved ones. In a joint statement, they urged Netanyahu to honor the public\u2019s will: \u201cIt is time to realize the will of the people. You do not have the authority to wage endless war. You do not have the authority to sacrifice hostages, soldiers, and Israeli citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n Israeli media reported that tensions flared in the Security Cabinet meeting, where the decision to invade Gaza City was made. Zamir and several ministers reportedly clashed verbally, as the chief of staff opposed the occupation over the risk to hostages\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n Netanyahu pursues dual track of negotiations and invasion<\/strong><\/p>\n On August 21, Netanyahu revealed that the Israeli army had presented him with a plan to occupy Gaza City. He said he had reviewed the plan at the Gaza Division headquarters in the south and was prepared to approve it. At the same time, Netanyahu claimed he had instructed the start of negotiations for the release of hostages and for ending the war under conditions favorable to Israel. \u201cThe defeat of Hamas and the release of all hostages go hand in hand,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n Netanyahu stated that Israel would simultaneously continue military operations in Gaza City while pursuing ceasefire and prisoner exchange talks. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on August 22 that the invasion plan had been formally approved.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s plan to occupy Gaza<\/strong><\/p>\n On August 8, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved a plan to occupy Gaza City in the north. Ahead of that meeting, Netanyahu told local media that Israel\u2019s ultimate goal was to occupy the entire Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n Reports in Israeli outlets suggested that while the army had received orders to prepare for the full occupation of Gaza, this step would likely not be executed before September. The first stage of the plan reportedly involves forcing about one million Palestinians to move south, surrounding Gaza City, and launching heavy assaults before occupation. The second stage envisions the takeover of refugee camps in central Gaza, much of which has already been reduced to rubble.<\/p>\n Israel previously occupied Gaza from 1967 until its withdrawal in 2005. Today, around 2.3 million Palestinians live in the Gaza Strip, which has been under a crippling blockade for the past 18 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has warned that Israel\u2019s plan to occupy Gaza would endanger the lives of hostages, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to sign the ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar. Zamir\u2019s call has received support from the families of Israeli hostages. According to Channel 13, Zamir conveyed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11065,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1138,4048,12417,582,7578,1334,5083,12415,503,12416,6795,812,6292,9658,2470,866,5331,4259],"class_list":["post-11064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middleeast","tag-benjamin-netanyahu","tag-ceasefire-agreement","tag-donald-trump-envoy","tag-egypt","tag-eyal-zamir","tag-gaza","tag-gaza-city","tag-gaza-invasion","tag-headline","tag-hostage-crisis","tag-hostage-families","tag-israel","tag-israeli-hostages","tag-israeli-security-cabinet","tag-prisoner-exchange","tag-qatar","tag-steve-witkoff","tag-yisrael-katz"],"yoast_head":"\n