Netanyahu stands firm on war goals: “I will not leave Hamas behind,” demands evacuation plan to move Gazans south, tells IDF chief, “Prepare an evacuation plan – I want to see it when I return from Washington.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir engaged in a heated confrontation during a high-level meeting of security officials and senior ministers, reportedly clashing over the next phase of military operations in the Gaza Strip.

According to a Channel 12 report citing sources present in the closed-door discussion, Netanyahu instructed Zamir to draw up a detailed plan to relocate the majority of Gaza’s population to the southern part of the enclave. The plan, the Prime Minister insisted, was critical for clearing northern and central Gaza of Hamas operatives without risking further hostage casualties.

“Do you want a military government? Who will govern two million people?” Zamir reportedly challenged, raising concern over the implications of large-scale population displacement and the burden it would place on the IDF.

Netanyahu, visibly frustrated, raised his voice: “IDF and the State of Israel,” he reportedly shouted at the chief of staff. “I don’t want a military government, but I’m not willing to leave Hamas behind in any way. I won’t allow this.”

The prime minister argued that without a civilian evacuation, Israel would be forced to carry out a full conquest of the Gaza Strip—something he views as strategically necessary but dangerously risky due to the large number of Israeli hostages still believed to be held by Hamas.

“The alternative to evacuation to the south is to run over the whole Strip and capture all of it, and that means killing the hostages which I don’t want and not prepared to do,” Netanyahu stated.

Zamir responded with a stark warning: “We need to talk about this, we have not agreed to this. To control these people who are hungry and angry could lead to a loss of control and as a result of that loss of control they could turn on the IDF.”

Despite the pushback, Netanyahu made his expectations unmistakably clear. “Prepare an evacuation plan – I want to see it when I return from Washington,” he demanded, underscoring the urgency he places on moving forward.

The tense exchange highlights the growing divide between Israel’s political and military leadership over the best path forward in Gaza. Netanyahu remains committed to dismantling every vestige of Hamas control, even at the cost of controversial population transfers. The IDF, while aligned with the strategic goal of defeating Hamas, is raising internal alarms about the humanitarian fallout and risks to troop safety if such moves are mishandled or rushed.