Israeli media say top security chiefs warned Netanyahu the Gaza City operation would endanger captives and soldiers, but the Cabinet approved the plan after a heated 10-hour meeting.

Israeli security chiefs warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that occupying Gaza City would endanger captives and soldiers, but the plan was approved after a heated 10-hour Cabinet meeting, Israeli media reported on Saturday.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, citing unnamed political sources, said the heads of the military, National Security Council, and Mossad “voiced their objections” during a session from Thursday night to early Friday, cautioning that the move would “greatly endanger” Israeli captives in Gaza and harm prospects for a deal with Hamas.

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Despite the warnings, the Cabinet voted to proceed. The meeting saw “sharp exchanges” between Netanyahu and senior officials, including Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi, and Mossad Director David Barnea, who argued for “safer, more suitable alternatives.” Hanegbi told the meeting that a “ceasefire could enable the release of about 10 captives.”

On Friday, the government approved a two-stage plan: first, force Gaza City’s roughly 1 million residents to move south, surround the city, and conduct raids; second, target central Gaza’s refugee camps, many already heavily damaged.

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The UN says 87% of Gaza is under Israeli control or evacuation orders and warns further expansion would have “catastrophic consequences.”

Israel’s war on Gaza, now in its second year, has killed more than 61,300 Palestinians since October 2023, devastating the enclave and pushing it to the verge of famine. 

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.

(PC, AA)