Generals against Netanyahu

The head of the Israeli army has opposed Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to seize parts of Gaza that Israel does not yet control, three Israeli officials said, as the prime minister faces growing pressure over the war, both at home and abroad.

During a tense, three-hour meeting on Tuesday, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned the prime minister that seizing the rest of Gaza could trap the army in the territory, from which it withdrew two decades ago, and could endanger hostages held there, sources familiar with the meeting said, as reported by Reuters.

The Israeli military, which claims to control 75 percent of Gaza after nearly two years of war, has repeatedly opposed the introduction of military rule, annexation of the territory and the rebuilding of Jewish settlements - policies advocated by some members of the government, according to Reuters.

Netanyahu is under intense international pressure to broker a ceasefire in the coastal enclave, which has been razed to the ground by fighting and its population on the brink of famine. Aid agencies warn that the water crisis is equally serious.

The United Nations has described reports of a possible expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza as "deeply disturbing" if they turn out to be true.

The military, which accuses Hamas of operating among civilians, has repeatedly avoided areas where intelligence indicated hostages were being held, and former prisoners have said their captors threatened to kill them if Israeli forces approached.

Netanyahu told Zamir that the military had so far failed to secure the release of the hostages, the officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Most of the hostages released so far have been released through diplomatic negotiations.

Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote yesterday on the X network that the Chief of General Staff has both the right and the duty to express his opinion, but said that the army will implement the government's decisions until all war goals are met.

Netanyahu is expected to discuss military plans for Gaza with his cabinet on Tuesday, Reuters reported. According to a fourth source, the prime minister wants to expand military operations in Gaza to put more pressure on Hamas. The prime minister said in May that Israel would control all of Gaza, and some of his key partners have previously threatened to leave the government if the war ends.

After a 40-minute meeting with the prime minister yesterday, opposition leader Yair Lapid told reporters that he had advised Netanyahu that the public was not interested in continuing the war and that a full military occupation would be a very bad idea.

A public opinion poll conducted last month by Israel's Channel 12 also showed support for reaching a diplomatic deal that would end the war and allow for the release of hostages, according to Reuters.

Fifty hostages remain held in Gaza, at least 50 of whom are believed to be still alive. Videos released last week by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group in Gaza, show two severely starved prisoners and have drawn international condemnation.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, nearly 200 Palestinians have died of hunger since the war began, about half of them children. More than 20 people died yesterday when a truck believed to be carrying food overturned after being surrounded by a desperate crowd, local health authorities said.

The latest ceasefire talks in Qatar collapsed last month. Hamas insists any deal must lead to a permanent end to the war, while Israel accuses the group of not being sincere about relinquishing power afterwards and says it must be defeated.

Reuters writes that expanding the military offensive into densely populated areas would likely have devastating consequences.

“Where should we go?” said Tamer Al-Burai, a displaced Palestinian currently living on the outskirts of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

“Should people jump into the sea if tanks come in, or wait to die under the rubble of their houses? We want an end to this war, enough is enough,” Tamer Al-Burai told Reuters by telephone.

The war in Gaza has also strained the Israeli military, which has a small standing army and has had to call up reservists several times. It is unclear whether expanding operations and capturing additional territory would require more reservists.

The total number of Palestinian casualties since the beginning of the conflict has exceeded 61.000, most of whom are civilians.

Golob: Israel is undermining the foundations of the international order

Slovenia yesterday imposed a ban on the import of goods produced in the Palestinian territories under Israeli occupation and approved an additional aid package for Palestinians in Gaza.

The government statement did not specify whether the ban applies to all goods produced in those territories or only to Israeli goods, Reuters reported.

The government also ordered the relevant ministries to consider banning the export of goods from Slovenia intended for settlements under Israeli occupation.

"The Israeli government's actions, including the construction of illegal settlements, expropriations, the forced displacement of the Palestinian population, the destruction of their homes... constitute serious and repeated violations of international humanitarian law," Prime Minister Robert Golob said, as reported by the STA news agency.

"These actions threaten not only the lives and dignity of the Palestinian people, but also the foundations of the international order."

The agency states that the volume of goods covered by the ban is extremely low, less than 2.000 euros in 2023.

Slovenia recognized the Palestinian state in June last year, following Spain, Ireland and Norway. The country last week imposed an embargo on the export, import and transit of arms to Israel, two weeks after declaring Israeli ministers persona non grata.