JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Tensions at the top of Israel’s leadership escalated sharply, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son accusing the army chief of plotting a “mutiny,” while far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir pressed him to obey government orders for a possible full reoccupation of the Gaza Strip.

Yair Netanyahu leveled the explosive charge at Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir after Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that disagreements between the premier and senior generals over plans to retake Gaza had reached “boiling point.”

“If the person who dictated that tweet is who we all think, this is nothing short of a mutiny and a military coup reminiscent of banana republics in the 1970s. It’s outright criminal,” Yair wrote on X, responding to a post by military analyst Yossi Yehoshua urging Netanyahu to explain the costs of such a move.

Only hours later, Ben-Gvir weighed in, demanding Zamir publicly affirm his loyalty to Netanyahu’s leadership.

“The chief of staff must clearly state he will fully comply with the political leadership’s instructions, even if the decision is to occupy Gaza,” Ben-Gvir said.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also called on the army chief to give his opinion on the Gaza reoccupation to the political leadership.

“The chief of staff is required to express his professional opinion clearly and unequivocally to the political echelon. I am convinced that he will do so,” Saar said on his X account.

The top diplomat said Zamir doesn’t need to clarify the army’s subordination to the government’s decision, since it is “self-evident, especially for someone who has served the country in uniform for decades.”

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, for his part, voiced his support for Zamir over his opposition to the full reoccupation of Gaza.

In a post on X, Lapid called attacks on Zamir “cowardly and detached from reality,” adding that such criticism “harms the army during wartime.”

The clash came as Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu has decided, with US backing, to push ahead with a full-scale reoccupation of Gaza, targeting areas believed to hold Israeli captives.

While the army has not issued an official statement, it moved Monday to lift the emergency measure that had extended regular soldiers’ service by four months since Oct. 7. Analysts said the decision signaled a de facto winding down of the ongoing ground operation, which began May 17 but failed to achieve its goals of dismantling Hamas or securing the release of captives.

Yedioth Ahronoth noted the pullback “reflects what many in the army believe that the war effectively ended months ago,” further reducing the number of regular forces still operating in Gaza.

The dispute follows revelations by Haaretz that Netanyahu had already presented a plan, “with American approval,” for the reoccupation of the enclave. The debate has been further stoked by US President Donald Trump, who recently called Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza “a mistake,” hinting he has a “clear plan” for the enclave but declining to reveal details.

Israeli officials said Netanyahu will convene political and military leaders Tuesday to discuss “options” for Gaza after the collapse of indirect ceasefire talks with Hamas.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 61,000 Palestinians, almost half of them women and children. Israel’s military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants 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.