Israeli army chief indicates he will continue opposing Gaza occupation plans despite pressure
We have been reporting on the Israeli military opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reported plan to escalate the Gaza war further and order the enclave’s full occupation.
Now, Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir has downplayed disagreements between the country’s political and military echelons by saying “a culture of disagreement” is a “vital component” of the military.
In the remarks made during an assessment this morning with the military’s top brass, Zamir said: “We will continue to express our positions without fear, in a substantive, independent and professional manner.”
His comments were published by the Israeli army hours before a cabinet meeting this evening to discuss the Gaza occupation plans, indicating he will continue to push against the proposal, The Times of Israel newspaper reported.
“We are not dealing with theory; we are dealing with matters of life and death, with the defense of the state, and we do so while looking directly into the eyes of our soldiers and the citizens of the country,” Zamir said.
Israel already controls all of Gaza
As we’ve just reported, Netanyahu says Israel plans to move forward with plans to control “all of Gaza” – the latest threat from Israeli officials to fully “occupy” the territory.
But legal experts stress that the enclave has been occupied by Israel since 1967 despite the withdrawal of Israeli forces and settlers in 2005. The International Court of Justice, the UN’s top tribunal, reaffirmed that position in a ruling last year.
“The Court notes that, for the purpose of determining whether a territory remains occupied under international law, the decisive criterion is not whether the occupying Power retains its physical military presence in the territory at all times but rather whether its authority has been established and can be exercised,” the ruling said.
The court also underscored that Israel continued to exercise key elements of authority over Gaza after the 2005 withdrawal, “including control of the land, sea and air borders, restrictions on movement of people and goods” and the collection of import and export taxes. “This is even more so since 7 October 2023,” it added.
Former UN official Michael Lynk likened Gaza to a prison where Israel retains control, making it the occupying power. “It’s like if the guards leave the prison, but they take all the keys with them; they’re still controlling how much food goes inside the prison each day and how much electricity goes into the prison each day,” Lynk told Al Jazeera in 2023.
“The people inside the prison are free to roam wherever they want within the confines of the prison but have no ability to be able to leave – that would be ‘effective control’ over the prison.”
