IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir is convinced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s family and associates are seeking to oust the general over his opposition to the government’s decision last week to expand the fighting in Gaza, Haaretz reported Tuesday.
The report cited Zamir’s conversations with current and former military figures, including sitting members of the IDF General Staff and former IDF chief Gabi Ashkenazi.
According to the report, some of Zamir’s conversations took place on Tuesday, after Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Zamir overnight of announcing top military appointments without first seeking Katz’s approval. Haaretz cited associates of Zamir as assessing that Netanyahu had dictated Katz’s conduct “because the IDF chief of staff was perceived as too independent.”
In his consultations with current and former colleagues, Zamir reportedly said he has been “marked” by Netanyahu’s family for expressing opposition to the new Gaza offensive, and that the premier’s associates are interested in firing the general, who replaced IDF chief Herzi Halevi in March.
A source who participated in Zamir’s consultations was quoted as saying, “The chief of staff understands exactly what’s happening and does not intend to hand over the military to Netanyahu and Katz.”
“This is exactly what they did to Herzi to take him into a lame duck,” said the source, referring to the previous IDF chief, who had also reportedly clashed with Netanyahu over the conduct of the war and attempts to draft more ultra-Orthodox men into the army.
Incoming IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir (right) together with outgoing Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City on March 5, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Zamir’s reported concern came after Netanyahu’s son, Yair, last month implied the general was planning a coup d’etat, leading to a confrontation between the premier and Zamir on the matter in a recent cabinet meeting, according to Hebrew media.
It was also reported in May that Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, had lobbied against Zamir’s appointment, saying the general aligns with anti-government protesters and prioritizes releasing the hostages from Gaza over defeating Hamas.
Katz said to be waiting two weeks to discuss IDF appointments
A statement attributed to “sources close to the defense minister” that was sent to reporters on Tuesday said Katz does not intend, for the next two weeks, to discuss and approve the military appointments announced by Zamir.
“He will study the material and formulate the policy principles on the matter,” the statement said. “After that, as is customary, the process will begin anew, with all potential candidates for each position presented to the defense minister, as has been the case until now.”
Katz overnight said Zamir went against protocol with his announcement of a round of senior appointments in the military. The military has countered that the normal course of events is the army holding internal discussions, with the defense minister later approving or rejecting them.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with the IDF General Staff Forum on June 30, 2025. At left is IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. At right is Defense Minister Israel Katz. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)
On Tuesday, the Kan public broadcaster cited sources in the IDF as saying that Zamir had set a meeting with Katz on Monday to go over the list of appointments, but was not let into Katz’s office at the scheduled time, with Katz’s secretary telling Zamir that the minister was busy.
Katz’s office said a meeting had been scheduled with Zamir, but that the general was later informed that the defense minister would be unavailable and that the meeting was canceled, Kan said.
The dispute came after the cabinet, overnight Thursday-Friday approved a plan to take over Gaza City — an apparently watered-down version of Netanyahu’s stated intent to take over the entire Strip.
The decision has sparked fierce criticism at home and abroad. Zamir reportedly warned the cabinet that expanding the fighting would endanger the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza and deepen the humanitarian crisis there.
Netanyahu has frequently clashed with Israel’s security chiefs throughout the war in Gaza. The premier’s critics have accused him of seeking to offload onto security chiefs his own responsibility for failing to avert the Hamas onslaught of October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
