Israeli Army Chief Warns Netanyahu: Expanding Gaza Offensive Could Endanger Hostages' Lives

Israeli Army Chief Warns Netanyahu: Expanding Gaza Offensive Could Endanger Hostages' Lives

Israeli Army Chief Ayal Zamir has warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several cabinet members that expanding ground operations in Gaza could increase the risk to the lives of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

On Sunday, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Zamir said, “There may be a real conflict on the ground between achieving the two main goals of the war — eliminating Hamas and rescuing the hostages.”

He added, “A full-scale ground operation could result in the death of hostages — this must be taken into consideration.”

The paper also noted that clear differences have emerged between Israel’s political and military leadership over war priorities.

In response to Zamir’s remarks, families of the hostages released a statement saying, “There can be no Israeli victory without the return of all hostages. Losing them would be a national defeat.”
They added, “National and social security depends on the release of every single captive.”

This warning comes as the Israeli military issues new call-up orders for thousands of reserve troops, as part of plans to expand the ground operation in Gaza — which is expected to begin within days.

On Friday, during a security consultation with Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Zamir, and other officials, Netanyahu approved the decision to call up these reserves.

According to Israeli sources, there are currently 59 Israeli hostages in Gaza, of whom 24 are believed to be alive. Meanwhile, over 9,900 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, many of whom face torture, starvation, and medical neglect — conditions that human rights groups say have led to numerous deaths.

On Saturday, thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv against the government’s decision to escalate the war, warning that it could lead to the death of remaining hostages and erase the memory of those already lost.

Since Israel's offensive began in October 2023, more than 52,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza — most of them women and children.

In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.