JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

A sharp dispute broke out between Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir over the military’s approach to the war in Gaza, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.

During a Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, Zamir warned that fully occupying Gaza could take years and advocated for continued targeted strikes instead.

Smotrich, however, lashed out, saying, “We miss (former Chief of Staff Herzi) Halevi,” in a pointed jab reflecting the ongoing tensions between the far-right minister and the military leadership, according to Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

The paper noted that Smotrich had previously attacked Halevi and now appears to be using the same confrontational tone toward Zamir, driven by his dissatisfaction with the army’s plans for Gaza.

Smotrich consistently opposes calls to rely solely on airstrikes and demands a prolonged military campaign.

“Is there nothing for us to do in Gaza? On the contrary - Gaza is an inseparable part of the Land of Israel,” Smotrich said, reflecting his support for Gaza reoccupation and building settlements there.

On Tuesday, Smotrich claimed that Israel is “closer than ever” to reoccupying and resettling Gaza.

According to the Haaretz newspaper, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented the Security Cabinet with a plan to seize parts of Gaza in stages, in a move aimed at preventing Smotrich from quitting the government after he threatened to resign over claims that Israel allowed humanitarian aid into the enclave.

The plan would reportedly give Hamas several days to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza or face an Israeli takeover of parts of the territory until the group surrendered. The paper, citing a senior Israeli official, said the proposal had received backing from the US administration.

US President Donald Trump had earlier called Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 “unwise.”

The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,000 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.

On Monday, Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing the systematic destruction of Palestinian society and the deliberate dismantling of the territory’s healthcare system.

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.