JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several Cabinet ministers that expanding the ground offensive in Gaza could result in the loss of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian group Hamas.

“There is a dilemma in pursuing both primary goals of the war — eliminating Hamas and recovering the hostages — because at a certain point, the two may conflict on the ground,” the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported Sunday, quoting Zamir.

“You must consider that a full-scale ground maneuver might result in the loss of the hostages,” he added.

The paper noted clear disagreements between Israel’s political and military leadership regarding the war’s priorities.

Reacting to the statements, families of hostages held in Gaza said in a statement that “there can be no Israeli victory without bringing back all the hostages. Losing them would be a national defeat.”

“National and social security hinges on the release of every captive,” they added.

Zamir’s warning came as the Israeli army began issuing call-up orders to tens of thousands of reservists ahead of a planned expansion of its ground assault on the enclave, which is expected to begin within days.

On Friday during a security consultation that included Zamir, Defense Minister Israel Katz and other officials, Netanyahu approved the mobilization of reservists to broaden ground operations.

Israel estimates that 59 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, including 24 believed to be alive. More than 9,900 Palestinians are detained in Israeli prisons, where they endure torture, hunger and medical neglect that has led to many deaths, according to both Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.

On Saturday, thousands of Israelis protested in central Tel Aviv against the government’s decision to escalate the genocide, warning that doing so could lead to the deaths of the remaining hostages and erase any trace of the deceased.

More than 52,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.