www.tipp.co.il

31.08.2025

עיתון בין אויבים

A newspaper among enemies

A heated argument at a meeting between the Chief of Staff and the Prime Minister on Wednesday, apparently at the Kirya in Tel Aviv:

Netanyahu: "You are not implementing the cabinet's decisions and are acting against them." Zamir: "I must say, we have nothing to look for in Gaza, Hamas has been defeated"

Once again, last Wednesday, there was a head-on clash between Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Zamir and Prime Minister Netanyahu, this time at the Kirya in Tel Aviv. The Prime Minister understands, in our assessment, that under the current conditions created by the war, whose goals of eradicating Hamas were already completed about two years ago, he does have the IDF for another maneuver, but only by virtue of the law; and there is no agreement from the security establishment, headed by the IDF, to enter another war in the Gaza Strip, 22 months after the first one began; to endanger the hostages, to risk a regional war, and this without any real chance of bringing about a "complete victory." It is stated here that we have no information according to which the security establishment believes that following the new military move, a regional war could break out; this assessment is ours and stems from our current report (see today in the editorial) according to which Hamas is striving for a regional war in which it will manipulate Turkey and Egypt against Israel; this assessment is based on an analysis of several reports, some of which we have brought here in the past month, the last of which we are bringing as stated today in the editorial: Hamas has informed Turkey and probably also Egypt that it will be willing to change its charter, which calls for the destruction of Israel. In our assessment, Hamas is moderating its path through its charter, in order to drag Turkey and Egypt into a "justified" regional war against Israel. In this spirit, Turkish President Erdogan said over the weekend that "the Palestinians will be able to see justice being served" and he added, "those who shed the blood of innocents will drown in it." After the Fidan-Hamas meeting about a month ago in Turkey, Erdogan said that Hamas would be willing to disarm after a Palestinian state is established with Jerusalem as its capital. The Hamas charter completely denies the existence of the State of Israel, and states that Israel must be destroyed. The Egyptians, for their part, have concentrated their forces in Sinai, following their assessment, which Hamas promotes, that Israel intends to transfer the residents of Gaza, who will be concentrated on the border with Egypt, to the Sinai Desert. See today's editorial for an extensive article on Hamas's plot, which also stems from its significant strengthening in the West Bank. It is stated that we do not know whether the Egyptian deployment is only on the border line with the Gaza Strip, or whether it is a deployment on second and third lines, behind the border line and parallel to it, a structure that could indicate an offensive deployment. We also do not know whether the Egyptian deployment is also on the border line beyond the borders of the Gaza Strip.

By Meir Jurno, our military and security commentator

On the eve of entering Gaza, on Wednesday, in the Kirya in Tel Aviv, there was another frontal clash between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chief of Staff Zamir. The two met in private. Netanyahu attacked Zamir and said: "You are giving Hamas a tailwind." He said the sentence about Hamas, which could indicate that Netanyahu is losing his balance, as part of a broader attack: "You are not carrying out the cabinet's instructions to occupy Gaza, you are advertising in the media that you are in favor of a partial deal, you are weakening the cabinet, and giving Hamas a tailwind; you as Chief of Staff cannot go to the media, you can raise this in the cabinet and not outside. From today on, I do not want to hear you in the media." Chief of Staff Zamir responded: "We have nothing to look for in Gaza, Hamas has been defeated, and now we need to take care of the hostages. This is my position, and I will stand by it. I do not intend to resign. You have the option of firing me."

The statements indicate that Netanyahu has already decided and ordered a full entry into Gaza, and his words in this order to the IDF were sharp and clear, a full entry into war, and that the delay in entry, the moderation in entry, the caution, and the extended timetable are within the scope of the Chief of Staff's decision and his orders. This method of entry is therefore not Netanyahu's tactic, but rather the tactic of Chief of Staff Zamir. Therefore, if Netanyahu's order had been carried out in the manner he intended, the IDF would already have been fighting all over Gaza City, a full-scale war, from the air, from the sea and on land, underground and above ground. In our assessment, the current moderate war and the current moderate maneuver stem from the Chief of Staff's position mentioned in the conflict conversation quoted above.